The British Fashion Council (BFC) announces a new format for The
Fashion Awards 2020. The annual global celebration of creativity and innovation will
take on a digital format on Thursday 3rd December 2020, in light of the restrictions imposed on
large scale events and travel.
The Fashion Awards 2020 will honour and celebrate the designers, brands, creatives and
individuals who have created positive change within the fashion industry this year; from those who
bravely faced this challenging period with pro-active responses to the global pandemic, showed
leadership and creative resilience, to the ones who stood up against prejudice within the fashion
industry and fight for change. The BFC is looking to shine a spotlight on those who made
humanitarian efforts, adapted their business models and responded to their community’s needs.
Twenty individuals and brands will be recognised and receive a ‘2020 Fashion Award’ in honour
of their specific contribution. They will be announced as part of a short film that will document the
fashion industry in this extraordinary year, while bringing together a list of next generation opinion
leaders and creatives to share their personal vision on the most important moments of 2020.
New Wave: Creatives, the list that includes the most innovative and inspiring young creative talents
from around the world, will return. Now in its third year, New Wave: Creatives has become a
digital resource created to showcase the community and is being widely used by the international
industry as an active resource for booking talent. The 2020 New Wave: Creatives list will place a
spirit of resilience, innovation and meaningful change at the heart of the celebration as well as
reinforce the BFC’s continuous commitment to the creativity of the industry.
The BFC continues its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) to
recognise businesses and individuals in fashion that make concerted efforts to support the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Stephanie Phair, BFC Chair commented: “This has been a year like no other. Fashion has probably
been changed forever and businesses and designers have had to adapt to a new reality. It is
more important than ever to recognise those in the fashion industry who played an important role
in this extraordinary year, proving the compassion and resilience of our industry. This is what The
Fashion Awards 2020 have set to do, by spotlighting those who have shown leadership and
creative resilience over the past year.”
Caroline Rush, BFC CEO said: “What the past couple of months have shown us, is that the fashion
industry is in need of a reset. This is why this year, under unique circumstances, we felt that it was
important to recognise the people and businesses who played a role in some of the most
important and challenging issues of our generation and champion those who raised the bar in
areas such as diversity, sustainability, and community.”
