Sarah Burton Is Being Honoured At This Year’s Fashion Awards – And Tracee Ellis Ross Is Hosting

A thousand times yes.

Sarah Burton Is Being Honoured At This Year's Fashion Awards - And Tracee Ellis Ross Is Hosting

by Natalie Hammond |
Updated on

It's the biggest night on fashion's calendar - and this year there's even more reason to be excited. Sarah Burton OBE will receive the Trailblazer Award in recognition of the amazing work she has done as the Creative Director of Alexander McQueen.

Burton is best known for designing Kate Middleton's wedding dress, but she's also the founder of an education programme which, according to the British Fashion Council, ;connects universities and colleges from around the country, offering students the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of design and craft with the help of members of the McQueen design team'.

The awards will be hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, the Black-ish actor and founder of haircare brand Pattern, which we're all very excited about.

Tracee always serves up something interesting on the red carpet - she carried an actual picture frame at this year's Met Gala for crying out loud - and isn't afraid to go 'look-at-me' loud when it comes to her outfits. Whether it's sequinned jumpsuits or voluminous satin dresses, the actor is of the more-is-more school of thought - and we can't wait to see what she pulls out of the bag come 2 December.

Also recently announced is the news that Sam McKnight, all-round hair genius, will collect the Isabella Blow award for Fashion Creator at the Fashion Awards. Speaking to Vogue's Suzy Menkes, McKnight said 'It feels like a huge honour – I was blown away. I have been honoured by the hairdressing and the beauty industries – but I have never had an award from fashion. Really my world is fashion and it is from the fashion industry that I have felt close to – it’s what I’ve been doing since the 1970s when models often did their own hair. People were asking whether I could really succeed making a career out of it. It was the very beginning of hair being intrinsically linked with fashion shows.'

It may be easier to suggest who McKnight hasn't worked with, given his prevalence in the industry. He is the man responsible for cutting Princess Diana's hair in 1990, he worked closely with Karl Lagerfeld on every Chanel show and he's been collaborating with Dame Vivienne Westwood since the 90s. He is, in the very true sense of the word, a legend in the fashion industry.

There are 10 categories in total, spanning accessories designer of the year to business leader, several names cropped up again and again on the list of nominations. Gucci has four, including brand of the year, business leader, plus accessories designer of the year and designer of the year for its creative director Alessandro Michele.

It’ll come as no surprise to fashion editors, many of whom will have been part of the global voting panel of 2,500 members who put forward their preferences for each award, that Bottega Veneta, and its new creative director Daniel Lee, also cleaned up, with nominations in the accessories designer of the year, brand of the year, British designer of the year womenswear and designer of the year categories.

Kaia Gerber, who won model of the year in 2018, has again been nominated, along with Adesuwa Aighewi, Adut Akech, Adwoa Aboah and Winnie Harlow.

Giorgio Armani and Naomi Campbell were announced as the recipients for the Outstanding Achievement Award and the Fashion Icon Award respectively earlier this year.

The only thing left to do? Wait for 2 December when the winners will be crowned at the Royal Albert Hall - and, for now, browse the full list of nominees below.

Accessories Designer of the Year

Alessandro Michele for Gucci

Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta

Jonathan Anderson for Loewe

Kim Jones for Dior Men

Simon Porte Jacquemus for Jacquemus

Brand of the Year

Bottega Veneta

Gucci

Jacquemus

Loewe

Prada

British Designer of the Year Menswear

Craig Green for Craig Green

Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner

Kim Jones for Dior Men

Martine Rose for Martine Rose

Riccardo Tisci for Burberry

British Designer of the Year Womenswear

Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta

John Galliano for Maison Margiela

Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson & Loewe

Richard Quinn for Richard Quinn

Simone Rocha for Simone Rocha

British Emerging Talent Menswear

Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty for Cottweiler

Bethany Williams for Bethany Williams

Kiko Kostadinov for Kiko Kostadinov

Phoebe English for Phoebe English

Sofia Prantera for Aries

British Emerging Talent Womenswear

Laura and Deanna Fanning for Kiko Kostadinov

Matty Bovan for Matty Bovan

Phoebe English for Phoebe English

Rejina Pyo for Rejina Pyo

Rosh Mahtani for Alighieri

Business Leader

Alexandre Arnault for Rimowa

José Neves for Farfetch

Marco Bizzarri for Gucci

Marco Gobbetti for Burberry

Remo Ruffini for Moncler

Designer of the Year

Alessandro Michele for Gucci

Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta

Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson & Loewe

Kim Jones for Dior Men

Miuccia Prada for Prada

Model of the Year

Adesuwa Aighewi

Adut Akech

Adwoa Aboah

Kaia Gerber

Winnie Harlow

Urban Luxe

Alyx

Fenty

Marine Serre

Martine Rose

Moncler Genius

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