Irish fashion designers took home some impressive awards at the 2024 British Fashion Awards, which took place in London’s Royal Albert Hall on Monday, 2 December.
Derry-born designer Jonathan Anderson took home the award for ‘Designer of the Year’ – for the second year running – while Dublin-born designer Simone Rocha won the ‘British Womenswear Designer Award’.
Presented by Pandora, the awards are an annual celebration of excellence in creativity, working to support generations of talent within the fashion industry.
This year’s ceremony attracted a star-studded red carpet including Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding, Rihanna and Irish stars Nicola Coughlan, Jamie Dornan, Angela Scanln and Laura Whitmore.
This year’s ceremony saw American designer Tom Ford receive an ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’, while musician ASAP Rocky was honoured as a ‘Cultural Innovator’ for his impact on popular culture.
Derry-born designer Jonathan Anderson (who won International Designer of the Year at last year’s awards) won the title of Designer of the Year thanks to his work at both Loewe and JW Anderson.
The award is said to recognise a “British or international designer whose work has made a notable impact on the industry, defining the shape of global fashion”.
“I love fashion,” Anderson told the celebrity laden audience. “It makes me get out of bed every morning.”
Earlier in the night, Simone Rocha was awarded ‘British Womenswear Designer of the Year’, an award that recognises a “leading British womenswear designer or business who has consistently made a global impact with their innovative and creative designs, shaping the burgeoning international womenswear landscape”.
“With this award I’d like to honour all the women and children who are displaced” she said, accepting her award from Irish actress and activist Nicola Coughlan, before adding: “Free Palestine”.
Winners of the 2024 Fashion Awards:
- BFC Foundation Award: Chopova Lowena
- New Establishment Menswear: Priya Ahluwalia
- Trailblazer Award: Remo Ruffini
- Designer of the Year: Jonathan Anderson
- Model of the Year: Alex Consani
- Pandora Leader of Change Award: Issa Rae
- Outstanding Achievement Award: Tom Ford
- Cultural Innovator Award: A$AP Rocky
- British Accessories Brand Award: Stephen Jones
- British Menswear Designer of the Year: Grace Wales Bonner
- British Womenswear Designer of the Year: Simone Rocha
- New Establishment Womenswear Award: Marco Capaldo
- Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Tyler Mitchell
- Special Recognition Award: Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou
- Special Recognition Award: Gucci’s ‘We Will Always have London’ campaign by Creative Director Sabato De Sarno and Photographer Nan Goldin
- Special Recognition Award: Margaret Barbour