Architect John Pawson designs Fashion Awards trophy

The British Fashion Council has commissioned architect John Pawson to design the Swarovski crystal trophy for the forthcoming Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on 4 December.

The design takes the form of a minimalist crystal cylinder encasing a lacquer "thread" through its centre. Its slanted top features a convex lens, which magnifies the thread when viewed from above. Each trophy contains a different coloured thread, making it a distinct design piece; but when viewed together, the trophies form a set piece that is intended to represent the diversity of the 2017 award winners.

The trophies have been handcrafted from crystal by Swarovski’s master cutters at the company’s headquarters in Wattens, Austria. Each trophy weighs approximately 1.5kg and measures 240mm in height by 60mm wide. They will complete the 800-mile journey from Austria to the Royal Albert Hall in London for the event.

Pawson said of the design: "The trophy is a symbolic memento of the night so I wanted to create something special that would be both a beautiful object in its own right and a fitting tribute to the achievements of this year’s winners. The inherent qualities of Swarovski crystal enhance the simplicity of the cylindrical form and coloured thread, producing a celebratory play of light and colour.”

Dame Natalie Massenet, chairman of the British Fashion Council added: “It is a great honour to work with John Pawson on the award design this year. He is one of the most celebrated architectural designers of his generation and his trophy reflects both his aesthetic and our vision for The Fashion Awards. It is worthy of the outstanding achievements it will recognise on the night and I am delighted that all winners will take away a collectible work of design.”

This is the second time the BFC has teamed up with a renowned designer to create the trophy for the awards. Last year's design was produced by Marc Newson.

Nominees for the event, which acts as a fundraise for the British Fashion Council Education Foundation, were announced last month and feature leading names from fashion business and design both in the UK and internationally such as Matchesfashion.com founders Tom and Ruth Chapman, designers Jonathan Anderson and Alessandro Michele and music artist Rihanna who is nominated for her Fenty Puma line.