Dame Vivienne Westwood to be honoured at The Fashion Awards
Punk pioneer and ethical fashion activist Dame Vivienne Westwood will be presented with the Swarovski Award for Positive Change at The Fashion Awards 2018 next Monday at the Royal Albert Hall.
The legendary London-based designer will receive the honorary award in recognition for her "incredible contribution to the fashion industry" and her continued work to promote and engage with the industry positively in making a global change for the benefit of the environment.
This special award celebrates individuals who have made a positive impact on society, the environment or both, and forms part of Swarovski’s efforts to promote a more sustainable future. Previous recipients include the late Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia, Franca Sozzani, and Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri.
British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush CBE said of Dame Vivienne: "She has led the way championing humanitarian and environmental issues, and her contribution to British fashion, make her one of the most respected designers in the fashion industry and a great inspiration to us all. Her most recent campaign has led more businesses in the fashion industry in the UK to ‘Switch to Green Energy’ and she continues to inspire many more to do the same."
Nadja Swarovski, member of the Swarovski executive board, added: "Dame Vivienne Westwood has made an indelible mark on global fashion and we are delighted to celebrate her inspirational creativity, lifelong advocacy of environmental causes and promotion of ethical fashion which have had an enduring and profound effect on the industry.”
Dame Vivienne ensured her legendary status in British fashion in the 1970s as a pioneer of the punk movement and went on to become one of the best known designers around the globe, but she never lost her maverick streak, nor her commitment to environmental and human rights causes.
Among her many activities in this area, Dame Vivienne is is a trustee of Liberty, patron of Reprieve and campaigner for Amnesty International, War Child, Friends of the Earth and the Environmental Justice foundation, amongst others. Vivienne Westwood have dedicated a number of their shows and collections to raise awareness around these causes.
The Fashion Awards, which is being staged at the Royal Albert Hall for the third year, is the main fundraiser for the BFC. As part of its continued support of The Fashion Awards 2018, Swarovski has pledged a £300,000 donation to the BFC Education Foundation in advance of this year’s event.
In 2017, the BFC raised over £2.2 million for its charities and business support initiatives and in the twelve months to March 2018 allocated £1.1 million in grants to designer businesses to support these efforts.
