J W Anderson wins Designer of the Year at last night's fashion awards
A birds-eye view of last night’s Fashion Awards
By Meg Pirie
Last night J W Anderson took home ‘Designer of the Year’ award at the British Fashion Council ‘Fashion Awards 2023.’
The first time J W Anderson came onto my radar was almost 7 years ago – while flicking through a British Vogue magazine, whilst lying on a beach in the middle of nowhere, somewhere on the island of Samoa.
There was something visceral about seeing his namesake gold-plated logo – which combines his initials JW and an anchor – on a classic handbag shape with the option of both a gold chain and shorter leather handle. It appeared both luxe and edgy and something that stirred a next-level aspiration in me.
I was living overseas at the time, but something which took me on a mecca-like 11,000 or so mile excursion to Shoreditch in London, where I had reserved my bag. I left feeling never more sure of a purchase and have since loved that bag every day.
Since then, Anderson has not disappointed. Offering luxe and light-hearted pieces which go beyond the idea of a binary dichotomy and instead an advocation of clothing as a choice for all.
Whether the ever-evolving design power Anderson holds as Creative Director at Loewe or his viral light-hearted collections at his namesake label (think SATC viral pigeon clutch), Anderson has continued to push the limits of what’s possible in fashion and has brought back a little joy and magic in the process.
Jonathan Anderson gives his speech after winning Designer of the Year at the Fashion Awards 2023.
Of course Anderson wasn’t the only one to take home an award last night, Sarah Burton who took on the mantle after Alexander McQueen passed, was honoured with a special achievement award for her 13 years as Creative Director. She has left a very large gap in the role of women as Creative Directors in the fashion sector.
Sarah Mower was also awarded a special recognition award for championing young designer talent. Her dedication to New Gen talent in all forms has been game-changing for so many and something which Anderson acknowledged in his speech.
Finally, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful OBE, received the Trailblazer Award for his contribution to the fashion industry.
Karen Binns, our Fashion Director said:
"Big congratulations to Sarah Mower for finally getting her flowers for all her years of work that she has done to keep the young designers coming out of London every single year. Her support, there is no price you can put on that.
“Big congratulations to Edward Enninful and his flowers, this is what keeps the UK in the game, this is what we need to keep alive because we all know how much the fashion industry makes for the UK economy."
Tamara Cincik, our CEO said:
“Sarah Mower has been loyal since Fashion Roundtable’s inception, coming to our first talks and supporting our work on creative education. I introduced her to Karen Binns, our Fashion Director who is now a New Gen Judge ensuring that diverse voices are given a well deserved and overdue seat at the table."
To find out more about last night’s winner’s below.
King Charles III speaks at Cop28
King Charles III addressed the Cop28 summit in Dubai this year with a powerful call to arms.
A long-standing advocate for climate change, King Charles said:
“Unless we rapidly repair and restore nature’s unique economy based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be in peril.”
His speech was incredibly powerful and drew also on the fact that the indigenous worldview teaches us that we are all connected with all living things, as part of a grand and sacred system.
He finished his address by saying:
“The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth.''
We launch our paper on the Creative Wellbeing Economy
This week, we launch our Creative Wellbeing Economy report – the first of its kind for Fashion Roundtable – in that it is a living document, so will continue to evolve over time.
This piece of work came about in our capacity as partners with Bath Spa university and thus ensued a long-term strategy in which creative interdisciplinary leadership is provided as a solution to the urgent economic, environmental and social issues.
The Creative Wellbeing Economy places people and planet in an interwoven symbiotic relationship: revaluing locality, creativity, and enhancing accessibility to transformative tools and opportunities as links in a newly formed chain of opportunity from cradle to grave. This is about placing value in people thriving above them simply surviving.
Tamara Cincik, Fashion Roundtable CEO said:
“If we cannot make the case for a deeper, more long term reconnection with core values across the whole of our lives – education, housing, business practices and community – then we run the risk of allowing populism to grab control of the narrative, where failed linear economic business models which crash and burn the economy and our climate, only to profit the very few with short term goals and gains, at the expense of 99% of us.”
Meg Pirie, Fashion Roundtable Researcher and Content Editor said:
"The Creative Wellbeing Economy turns the 'growth-at-all-costs' paradigm on its head and reimagines something much deeper, that offers communities an opportunity to thrive outside of the current system.
“This focuses on long-term policies which put people and the planet first – valuing localism, food and fibre sovereignty, the preservation of cultural heritage and hyper-local placemaking. This is a living document and will forever evolve, but is the first step to a much-needed system's change within the fashion sector."
New podcast:
TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #20 CHARLIE PORTER
This is a headshot image of Charlie Porter. Charlie wears glasses and a bright red shirt with white tiles in the background. Credit: Richard Porter.
For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Tamara Cincik speaks with writer, fashion critic and curator Charlie Porter about his new book, ‘Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and the Philosophy of Fashion’ published by Penguin Random House.
Charlie is one of the most influential fashion journalists of his time, and has written for the likes of the Guardian and iD magazine, as well as co-running the London queer rave Chapter 10.
The book, rather wonderfully, uses clothing as a way to look at six iconic Bloomsbury figures, while seamlessly addressing the evolution of how we dress today. This leads on to the fact that clothing can be an intellectual and sexual liberation, or conversely an instrument for patriarchal power.
The book came about after Charlie was asked to curate an exhibition called ‘Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion,’ at Charleston in Lewes. Through the inaugural exhibition Charlie explored the dynamic relationship between the Bloomsbury group. Here, clothing provided a route into learning more about the key figures in the Bloomsbury group and how, for some, fashion provided a language with which to explore their break away from tradition. This ultimately fed into the process of researching and writing his book.
The conversation centres around the beginnings of the Bloomsbury group, who were at the vanguard of a social and sartorial revolution. Virgina Woolfe and her sister Vanessa Bell escaped to Bloomsbury from an oppressive and abusive upbringing, rejecting the fashions of the time for something new and this is unpicked.
Homosocialism comes into the conversation where Charlie discusses his own experience of being gay from a working class background, and connecting this to E. M Forster and his struggle to be gay. The connection between Isabella Blow and Lady Ottoline Morrell is also explored by Tamara and the similarities of how they hosted and nurtured talent, but were mocked relentlessly.
Finally, Charlie and Tamara talk about Vanessa Bell and the way she made her own clothes and how this has played out in a life-changing way for Charlie where he now makes his own clothes with a new philosophy of living and consuming fashion.
To learn more about Charlie’s amazing work or to buy the book, click below:
Buy the book here
Follow Charlie Porter here
Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion: Exhibition details here
Book tickets to visit Charleston House here
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