The Fashion Awards: Jonathan Anderson triumphant for third successive year

On Monday night at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson scooped the coveted Designer of the Year accolade for the third consecutive year at The Fashion Awards 2025.

The annual awards from the British Fashion Council, which act as the annual fundraising event for the BFC Foundation to support fashion talent through scholarships and other initiatives, celebrated 15 awards, with home talents including Sarah Burton and Grace Wales Bonner winning awards, alongside Dilara Fındıkoğlu, Brunello Cucinelli, Chanel, Delphine Arnault, and British rapper and actress Little Simz.

Anderson was once again the winner of the Designer of the Year award, this time for his successful relaunch of his signature label JW Anderson, which he has turned into a lifestyle brand centred around “objects of elevated craftsmanship,” as well as his debut as the artistic director of both menswear and womenswear at luxury fashion house Dior, where he received a standing ovation for his spring/summer 2026 womenswear collection during Paris Fashion Week in October.

For the accolade, he beat off tough competition from Glenn Martens for Diesel and Maison Margiela, Martine Rose, Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu, Rick Owens and Willy Chavarria, who were nominated for producing “innovative collections” that have made “a notable impact on the industry, defining the shape of global fashion”.

There was also further success for Dior as chief executive officer Delphine Arnault was presented with a Special Recognition Award for her “outdtanding contribution” to the global fashion industry, after the BFC announced that Dior will be increasing its investment in the BFC Foundation Scholarships Programme by introducing a new annual MA Womenswear Scholarship, to sit alongside the existing MA Menswear Scholarship. In addition, Dior has also committed to expanding its support from biennial funding to two annual scholarships.

The Fashion Awards name 2025 winners

Luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton was also celebrating success for its Givenchy fashion house, as creative director Sarah Burton won the British Womenswear Designer Award ahead of tough competition from Simone Rocha, Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault for Knwls, Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena for Chopova Lowena, and Erdem Moralıoğlu for Erdem.

Burton, who was the longtime designer at Alexander McQueen, joined Givenchy in 2024 and made her debut for the fashion house in March with a critically acclaimed autumn/winter 2025 collection.

For the British Menswear Designer Award, Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner scooped the award for the second year. The success for the Central Saint Martins graduate, who launched her eponymous label in 2014, follows her appointment as Hermès' new menswear creative director in October, succeeding Véronique Nichanian, who is leaving after a 37-year tenure at the house.

There was also success for Turkish-born designer Dilara Fındıkoğlu, who won the Vanguard Award, which recognises a designer “at the forefront of a new wave in British fashion,” while Anok Yai took home the Model of the Year Award, and British rapper and actress Little Simz was named Cultural Innovator.

Chanel wins special recognition award at The Fashion Awards

The night also presented a Special Recognition Award to Chanel, celebrating the French fashion house’s 100 years in the UK, with the BFC noting the label’s work with the V&A and English National Ballet to mark their anniversary in the country. The V&A’s collection includes the original costumes that Gabrielle Chanel designed for Diagilev’s ballet ‘Le Train Bleu’ and the giant stage cloth widely recognised as the largest Picasso in the world. Chanel also supported the conservation of this iconic artwork, now on display at V&A East Storehouse, and commissioned English National Ballet to create a new choreographic version of the ballet. This new production, featuring costumes reinterpreted for the modern day, was performed during the awards ceremony.

There were also a host of Fashion Awards winners that were revealed earlier this year, including Brunello Cucinelli, who received an Outstanding Achievement Award for his “exceptional contribution to the world of fashion”. He follows in the footsteps of previous recipients, including Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, Miuccia Prada, Giorgio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Yvon Chouinard, Valentino Garavani, and Tom Ford.

Commenting on the honour, Cucinelli said in a statement: "I am deeply honoured to be presented with this 'global Oscar of fashion' from the British Fashion Council. Receiving it directly from the hands of a global movie icon like Sharon Stone makes it all the more meaningful. I like to think of it as a recognition not only of the creative work of our fashion house but also of the dedication and industrious spirit of all the “thinking souls” who are our valued collaborators.

“I believe, a part of Italy itself is being celebrated – its creative genius, its love of beauty, and its unwavering commitment to excellence. I am profoundly grateful for such recognition. To the esteemed David Pemsel and Laura Weir, Chair and CEO of the British Fashion Council, and to all those who nurture this precious work of beauty, I extend my sincerest thanks. I wish to dedicate this prestigious award to all young people, whom I view as the sentinels of humanity and the guardians of our future: do not be afraid to pursue your dreams, replace fear with hope, and allow yourselves to be inspired by the stars. I am certain that the heavens will guide your path."

Other awards included the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator presented to Rei Kawakubo, Adrian Joffe and Dickon Bowden recognising their “incredible contribution to the global fashion industry” for their work at retailer Dover Street Market, while Tania Fares, Fashion Trust Arabia co-chair, and co-chair of the BFC Foundation Fundraising Committee collected a Special Recognition Award for 15 years of the BFC Fashion Trust, and Kate Hawley won the debut Costume Designer of the Year accolade in recognition of her “exceptional costume design” for Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein,’ emphasising the craftsmanship, creativity, and fashion artistry that bring cinematic storytelling to life.

Lulu Kennedy and Raphaelle Moore also received a Special Recognition Award for 25 years of talent incubator Fashion East, which has launched the careers of some of the UK’s brightest fashion talent, including Simone Rocha, Maximilian Davis, Nensi Dojaka, Martine Rose, Liam Hodges, Wales Bonner, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Craig Green, Per Gotesson, Ashley Williams, Marques Almedia, Matty Bovan, Mowalola, Asai, Knwls, Stefan Cooke, Supriya Lele, and Chet Lo.

Australian-born celebrity stylist Sam Woolf was also honoured with the Pandora Style Moment of the Year Award, a category designed to reflect the rising visibility and commercial value of styling within the wider fashion ecosystem.

The event also saw disruption from animal rights charity PETA, who stormed the red carpet to call out leather cruelty with its supporters dressed in all black holding signs proclaiming, “Leather is Destroying the Planet. Wear Your Own Skin.”

On the action, Kate Werner, senior campaigns manager at PETA, said: “Today’s kind shoppers want luxurious and sustainable vegan fabrics and have no interest in funding the violent killing of animals or the destruction of our planet.

“PETA is calling on designers to leave animals and the planet in peace by embracing the plethora of innovative vegan leathers available today.”