The Fashion Awards 2021: the best red carpet arrivals

It’s London’s answer to the Met Gala and attracts one of the best red carpet line-ups the UK sees all year: we’re talking about The Fashion Awards.

This year presented by TikTok, guests arrived on the steps of the Royal Albert Hall and braced the cold (it was a shivery two degrees) in truly spectacular style. The VIPs were then seated for a ceremony full of speeches, performances and some unexpected surprises all hosted by Billy Porter who turned up on the red carpet flanked by a troupe of performative dancers all wearing Richard Quinn.

Last night, Idris Elba opened proceedings with a tribute to the late designer Virgil Abloh who passed away on Sunday after a private two-year battle with cancer. The actor said that “the fashion industry lost an icon and the world lost a legend” before reading the poem When Great Trees Fall by Maya Angelou. Kylie Minogue performed wearing a Richard Quinn catsuit as did Charli XCX this time in Tommy Hilfiger.

On the carpet, momager extraordinaire Kris Jenner made an entrance wrapped in a Tommy Hilfiger logo cape alongside the designer himself, his wife Dee Ocleppo and Jenner’s boyfriend Korey Gamble. Dua Lipa looked sleek in a black, strapless gown by Maximilian Davis, while Priyanka Chopra Jonas posed up a storm with husband Nick Jonas in a Richard Quinn one-piece with a dramatic cape.

Singer Griff, who also performed, wore a white gown from Simone Rocha’s SS22 collection, while Normal People’s Paul Mescal opted for a golden, jacquard Gucci jacket with a peachy shirt and ribbon bow tie. Models Lila Moss and Stella Jones both wore Burberry and tennis player Maria Sharapova took recycling to the next level wearing an Iris van Herpen dress crafted from evian bottles.

Tommy Hilfiger took home the Outstanding Achievement Award for his contributions to the global fashion industry, while Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele was awarded the Trailblazer Award for his positioning of the brand at the intersection of culture, art, music and film, and Ib Kamara, the prolific stylist and Editor-in-Chief for Dazed Magazine, won the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator.

“Kamara has through his storytelling and unique point of view inspired people from all backgrounds to explore fashion, making him hugely respected within the fashion community and a source of inspiration for many generations to come,” says Caroline Rush, the British Fashion Council’s Chief Executive.

The winner of the coveted Designer of the Year award was Kim Jones, creative director of Dior Men and Fendi.

Nensi Dojaka fought off competition from Bethany Williams, Bianca Saunders, Priya Ahluwalia and Richard Quinn to win the BFC Foundation Award.

Click through the gallery above for all the best looks on the night.

Full Fashion Awards 2021 winners list:

Isabella Blow Award:

Ib Kamara

Trailblazer Award:

Alessandro Michele

BFC Foundation Award:

Nensi Dojaka

Leaders of Change, Creativity:

Virgil Abloh

Alessandro Michele

Demna Gvasalia

Kim Jones

Jonathan Anderson

Special Recognition Award:

Dylan Jones

Leaders of Change, Environment:

Bethany Williams

Gabriela Hearst

Phoebe English

Priya Ahluwalia

Stella McCartney

Designer of the Year:

Kim Jones

Leaders of Change, People:

Edward Enninful

Harris Reed

Kenya Hunt

Samuel Ross

Telfar Clemens

Outstanding Achievement Award:

Tommy Hilfiger