The British Fashion Council Awards 2025: Celebrating the Visionaries Shaping Tomorrow
A spotlight on trailblazing talents at this year’s ceremony
Every year, fashion insiders and enthusiasts alike gather in anticipation as the British Fashion Council announces the winners of its annual awards. Established in 1989, the organisation has positioned itself as one of the industry’s leading institutions for recognising excellence across modelling, emerging talent, and the most influential creative forces in fashion.
With that said, here is what unfolded at this weekend’s ceremony.
Designer of the Year went – for the third consecutive year – to Jonathan Anderson, currently Creative Director at Dior and founder of JW Anderson. He now oversees both womenswear and menswear at Dior (the first designer to do so since Christian Dior himself), while simultaneously leading his namesake brand and collaborating on capsule collections with brands such as Uniqlo. It comes as little surprise, then, that his distinct aesthetic and consistent cultural impact have earned him this accolade once again.
British Womenswear Designer of the Year was awarded to Sarah Burton, now Creative Director of Givenchy and one of the few women to hold the top creative role at a major fashion house. Formerly of Alexander McQueen, Burton is often associated with a modern expression of power dressing. In her speech, she paid tribute to the women who inspire her – with a special nod to Cate Blanchett, who presented the award – saying they are who she thinks of “when imagining how a woman should look and feel today.”
Another major moment of the evening came as Grace Wales Bonner secured British Menswear Designer of the Year for the second year in a row. Earlier this year, she was appointed Creative Director of Hermès, marking a historic milestone as the first Black woman to lead design at a major fashion house.
The Vanguard Award, which recognises designers at the forefront of the new wave of British fashion, went to Turkish-British designer Dilara Findikoglu, whose SS26 London Fashion Week show made headlines for its gothic romanticism and boundary-pushing vision.
The region was also spotlighted when Tania Fares — Lebanese entrepreneur, philanthropist, and co-founder of the BFC Fashion Trust — received a Special Recognition Award, becoming the first Lebanese recipient. Another Special Recognition was presented to Delphine Arnault for her contributions as Director of LVMH.
Model of the Year was awarded to Anok Yai, a win many fans felt she deserved last year and took to social media to advocate for at the time.
The Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator – named after the late editor credited with championing figures such as Alexander McQueen – was presented to Rei Kawakubo, Adrian Joffe and Dickon Bowden for their work at Dover Street Market.
A historic new category also made its debut this year: Costume Designer of the Year, awarded to Kate Hawley. Introduced by the British Fashion Council’s new CEO, Laura Weir, the accolade reflects a renewed commitment to celebrating fashion’s influence beyond the runway and within the wider cultural landscape. Hawley’s win is more than well deserved – particularly for her work on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, where the Tiffany & Co. archival jewellery featured on screen represents only a fraction of the world-building detail she brought to the film.
Brunello Cucinelli received the Outstanding Achievement Award for building a global empire rooted in timelessness, craftsmanship and quiet elegance.
The remaining honorary awards were as follows:
25 Years of Fashion East: Lulu Kennedy and Raphaelle Moore
Cultural Innovator Award: Little Simz
Pandora Style Moment of the Year: Sam Woolf
Overall, last night marked a culmination of the creativity, progress and cultural momentum that have shaped the industry over the past year. The evening honoured the talent and visionaries who are not only defining the future of British fashion, but also pushing the global conversation forward – reminding us once again of the power, diversity and enduring influence of fashion in all its forms.
Lead Image Courtesy of Instagram /@britishfashioncouncil