Scottish Fashion Awards on hold as founder reveals cancer diagnosis

Tessa Hartmann CBE has promised the Scottish Fashion Awards will be back "bigger and better" in October 2018 after putting the event on hold for a year following her diagnosis with breast cancer earlier this year.

Hartmann, who was awarded a CBE for her contribution to fashion and textiles last year, revealed in an interview with The Sunday Times Scotland that she had been tackling the disease with "a mixture of humour and defiance" since she was diagnosed in March of this year. Until the interview Hartmann had only revealed the diagnosis to family and close friends and yesterday posted a link to the article on her social media accounts, which was met with hundreds of supportive messages from members of the fashion industry.

The Scottish Fashion Awards, which has honoured some of fashion's biggest names from Dame Vivienne Westwood to Christopher Kane along with many retailers, manufacturers and models, was one of the most hotly anticipated on the fashion calendar and had been due to celebrate its 12th year this October. However in the interview Jersey-based Hartmann, who only recently hosted the inaugural Jersey Style Awards, said she was refraining from flying until she was completely recovered.

"We’ll be back bigger and better in October 2018," Hartmann said in a statement. "I’m just one of 50,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK. I get up, dress up, show up and never give up!"