J-Dubs, Martine and Willy are battling for fashion’s crown

Dior SS26 men’s

With the industry’s leading designers readying themselves for the upcoming fashion weeks, the British Fashion Council have just upped the ante by dropping nominations for this Year’s Fashion Awards. As expected, the Designer of the Year category is anyone’s to lose, with Martine Rose, Willy Chavarria and Dior’s Jonathan Anderson facing-off against Miuccia Prada, Rick Owens and Glenn Martens for Diesel and Maison Margiela. The award “recognises a British or international designer whose innovative collections have made a notable impact on the industry”, and since all six nominees fit that bill, it’s set to be one of the tightest races yet.

The ceremony is due to take place on Monday, December 1 at The Royal Albert Hall in London, while the list of nominees was decided back in July by a jury that included the BFC’s new CEO Laura Weir, Dazed MENA editor-in-chief Ahmad Swaid and Dazed’s fashion features director Emma Davidson.

Also on the list of nominees, recent LVMH Savoir-Faire Prize winner Torishéju Dumi goes up against Aaron Esh, Dilara Fındıkoğlu and Tolu Coker for the Vanguard award that “recognises a designer at the forefront of a new wave in British fashion”. Elsewhere, Simone Rocha, Sarah Burton, Grace Wales Bonner and Chopova Lowena also feature in the nominations.