Georgian Designer Wins Two Awards at British Fashion Council Awards 2016

LONDON - 

Georgian fashion designer Demna Gvasalia won two prestigious awards at the British Fashion Council (BFC) Awards 2016.

On 5th December at the Royal Albert Hall, London, 4,000 members of the industry and the public gathered to watch this year’s awards, where an international set of winners were announced. The nominees were selected by 1,500 fashion industry figures from 41 different countries.

Gvasalia for Balenciaga won ‘International Ready-to-Wear Designer,’ while his brand Vetements scooped ‘International Urban Luxury Brand,’ a new category at the rebranded event which was known until recently as the British Fashion Awards.

Gvasalia's status in the fashion industry was cemented when it was announced in October that he would be taking over as artistic director of Balenciaga. Francçois-Henri Pinault, president and chief executive of Kering - parent company to the iconic Parisian house - praised the designer as "a powerful emerging force in today's creative world." 

Alongside the position, Gvasalia retains his role as head designer and spokesperson for Vetements, the buzzed-about collective of seven anonymous designers based in Paris where he made his name after rising through the ranks at Louis Vuitton and Maison Martin Margiela.

36 year old Gvasalia received his education at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium.

Demna’s Brother, Guram Gvasalia was also named among the nominees of the Fashion Awards 2016.

It was the first time the ceremony took place at Royal Albert Hall, and the event was the inaugural annual fundraiser gala for the British Fashion Council Education Foundation charity.

The charity offers scholarships to Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts students, as well as funding for apprenticeships. The BFC aims to raise 10 million pounds, or $12.7 million, over the next 10 years for the charity.

BY Thea Morrison