The British Fashion Awards 2012

Last night Giulia and I attended the 2012 British Fashion Awards at the Savoy Theatre in London. We were beyond excited not only because it's the fashion event of the year in the UK but also because it was our first time at any sort of award ceremony – unless you count school?
Even tough we knew that not everyone in the industry would interpret the black tie instructions quite so literally we jump at any opportunity of dressing to the nines. Giulia in a stunning Galliano gown with lace and ruffle details and me in a more expected outfit spiced up with my favourite new Lanvin flower pin.

It was an amazing experience sitting in the theatre and having all these amazingly talented and accomplished people in front of us. Our hearts stopped a little when, to kick off the awards, Nick Grimshaw and Gemma Arterton announced that Valentino – Legend – Garavani would be giving the British Style Award, which went to Alexa Chung for the third year in a row. We loved that Manolo Blahnik won the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion introduced by a lovely video of Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Angelica Houston and Naomi Campbell singing his praise. He received the award from Zaha Hadid, a favourite hero of mine!
Amber Valetta – we died again – gave Stella McCartney one of her two awards of the night: Designer Brand and Designer of the Year. They both look ridiculously beautiful last night. Less of a surprise was Cara Delevingne's award for Model of the Year. She literally rocked the stage with a shirt metallic number by Burberry, of course.
I was also thrilled to see J.W. Anderson win the Emerging Talent award for Ready-to-Wear. He is one of the most talented designers in London and a personal favourite. Jonathan Saunders, Roksanda Ilincic, Erdem and Nicholas Kirkwood all received awards for all their amazing work during this year. Kim Jones got the Menswear Designer award for his work at Louis Vuitton, another very well deserved one. One of the highlights of the night was the emotional moment of Louise Wilson, who won the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator for her years of work at Central Saint Martins, where he has taught many of the best British designers.

See the rest of the guests and what they were wearing here. And click here for the full list of winners.

Images: Getty and Know Wear

Know Wear

Waiting for the second showing of JW Anderson's SS12 collection you could feel the excitement buzzing from the previous show attendees. People kept giving the heads-up on on good the collection was.

The show was very modern in the way that only Paris knows how –elements like fabric manipulation and deconstruction would only be seen at Balenciaga.

Anderson deconstructed a classic light-weight cardigan and put it back together in the shape of a pencil skirt gently hugging the body but allowing the fabric to flow. He played with panels of sequins, leather and light knits converting wardrobe staples into strikingly chic cocktail dresses with an air of sportswear yet luxurious.

I loved the paisley and geometric abstract shapes that covered two-piece looks of sleeveless tops and tailored trousers. Every outfit was an amalgam of different textures, which changed the reaction of the audience towards each look as models turned the corner. My favourite was the leather that reminded me of a 21st-century chain
mail or a ancient-Roman skirt.