The Fashion Awards 2026 Nominees: Who is shaping fashion now?

The Fashion Awards 2026 nominees bring together global luxury leaders, influential British designers, and a new generation of emerging talent. This year’s shortlist spans Chanel, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, The Row, Bottega Veneta, and some of Britain’s most closely watched emerging labels. The nominations offer a snapshot of an industry being reshaped by new creative leadership, independent luxury, cultural storytelling, and increasingly international careers.

The Fashion Awards 2026 nominees at a glance

Organised by the British Fashion Council, The Fashion Awards returns to the Royal Albert Hall on 30 November 2026. The competitive categories announced so far are Designer of the Year, British Womenswear Designer of the Year, British Menswear Designer of the Year, and the Vanguard Award.

The ceremony also serves as a major global platform for British fashion and brings together designers, models, executives, celebrities, and creatives for one of London’s highest-profile fashion evenings.

Beyond the competitive categories, Jimmy Choo Creative Director Sandra Choi OBE has already been confirmed to receive a Special Recognition Award for her contribution to the global fashion industry.

Designer of the Year: Luxury fashion in transition

The category recognises British or international designers who have made an outstanding impact on global fashion in 2026. Nominees include:

• Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent
• Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row
• Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford
• Matthieu Blazy for Chanel
• Michael Rider for Celine
• Sarah Burton for Givenchy

Several nominees are reshaping major luxury houses. At Chanel, Matthieu Blazy has blended heritage craftsmanship with a more modern, relaxed direction, making the house one of fashion’s most closely watched creative transitions.

Haider Ackermann has brought his own highly atmospheric, sensual approach to Tom Ford, while Michael Rider has been developing a new Celine wardrobe built around individual characters, tailoring, and a more lived-in sense of luxury.

At Givenchy, Sarah Burton has gradually established a distinctive silhouette through sculptural tailoring, femininity, and increasingly confident collections.

Givenchy’s Fall Winter 2026 Womenswear Show by Sarah Burton

Against these creative-director transitions sit two very different examples of continuity. Anthony Vaccarello continues to shape Saint Laurent through a long-established vision, while Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen have built The Row into one of contemporary fashion’s most influential independent luxury labels.

That mix makes this year’s category particularly revealing. Fashion’s biggest conversation is no longer simply about which house has the most recognisable heritage; it is about how designers reinterpret that heritage, build coherent worlds, and create clothes that resonate beyond a single runway season.

British Womenswear Designer of the Year: British talent goes global

The category recognises British designers who have made a significant global impact in 2026, with nominees including:

• Clare Waight Keller for Uniqlo
• Erdem Moralıoğlu for Erdem
• Louise Trotter for Bottega Veneta
• Sarah Burton for Givenchy
• Simone Rocha for Simone Rocha

British creative influence is increasingly global. Clare Waight Keller is working with Japanese global retailer Uniqlo, Louise Trotter is shaping Bottega Veneta in Milan, and Sarah Burton is leading Givenchy in Paris. Meanwhile, Erdem Moralıoğlu and Simone Rocha continue to build distinctive independent brands closely tied to London.

Trotter’s work at Bottega Veneta is particularly representative of this international movement. Her Spring/Summer 2027 collection explored lighter construction, movement, and the transition between seasons, applying the house’s celebrated craftsmanship to clothes with greater softness and flexibility.

Erdem’s Autumn Winter 2026 collection by Erdem Moralıoğlu

British Menswear Designer of the Year: New definitions of menswear

The shortlist brings together Foday Dumbuya for Labrum, Kiko Kostadinov, Nick Wakeman for Studio Nicholson, Simon Holloway for Dunhill, and Simone Rocha.

British menswear spans distinct identities: Dunhill reflects tailoring heritage, Studio Nicholson favours refined functionality, Kiko Kostadinov brings experimentation, and Labrum blends fashion with culture and identity.

Simone Rocha stands out for being nominated in both womenswear and menswear, reflecting increasingly fluid boundaries between the two categories and a broader approach to design.

Simone Rocha’s Autumn Winter 2026 gender-fluid collection

Vanguard Award: The next generation shaping British fashion

If the major categories show who currently holds influence, the Vanguard Award asks who might shape what comes next. The 2026 nominees are Conner Ives, Ellie Misner, Steve O Smith, and Tolu Coker.

Conner Ives

Conner Ives arrives on the shortlist after a particularly visible year. The American-born, London-based designer just made his official New York Fashion Week debut for Spring/Summer 2027. His work continues to mix glamorous party dressing with vintage references, sportswear, and an instinctive understanding of contemporary pop culture.

Conner Ives’ New York Fashion Week SS27 debut

Ellie Misner

Ellie Misner’s East London label specialises in demi-couture, with made-to-order pieces defined by corsetry, draping, and sensual silhouettes. Her work has gained growing red-carpet visibility, while her Autumn/Winter 2026 collection turned personal reflections on turning 30 into expressive eveningwear.

Steve O Smith

Steve O Smith brings art and fashion together through a drawing-led approach, translating the lines and gestures of sketches directly into garments. His Spring/Summer 2027 presentation at the Royal Academy’s life-drawing studio reinforced this idea, showing how emerging British fashion can still prioritise specialised craft, conceptual thinking, and clothing that sits between drawing, couture, and wearable design.

Tolu Coker

Tolu Coker’s work places personal history, British identity, and community at the centre of luxury fashion. Her collections have drawn on her West London upbringing, Black British life, family memories, and social mobility ideas, translating those subjects through structured tailoring and carefully constructed environments.

Together, the four Vanguard Award nominees show just how broad the next generation of British fashion has become: transatlantic pop culture, inclusive demi-couture, drawing-led craftsmanship, and culturally grounded luxury all sit within the same category.

Experience The Fashion Awards 2026 with MA Hospitality Group

From globally recognised creative directors to the next generation of British talent, The Fashion Awards 2026 nominees reflect an industry being reshaped from several directions at once.

For clients planning to attend the ceremony in London, MA Hospitality Group can assist with fashion awards VIP access and tailored fashion awards hospitality arrangements, alongside luxury hotel bookings, chauffeur-driven transfers, fine dining reservations, and dedicated concierge support.

Whether the priority is premium event access, a private box enquiry, or a complete London itinerary around the occasion, contact us to plan your fashion awards experience.

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