Chosen by a panel of industry experts, the British Fashion Council has announced the winner ahead of next month’s Fashion Awards
Though the 2025 Fashion Awards won’t take place until Monday, December 1, the British Fashion Council is doing something a little different this year, announcing the winner of Model of the Year almost a month before the ceremony.
Revealed this morning via the BFC’s Instagram account, Sudanese-American model and former Dazed cover star Anok Yai has been crowned 2025’s biggest modelling star after a stellar year of catwalks and campaigns. Her achievements over the last 12 months include a strong showing during SS26’s fashion month, where she was first out the gate for Ferragamo, Coperni and Hugo Boss, closed Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Vetements and Messikia, and also walked numerous other catwalks including Saint Laurent, Mugler, Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta and Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel debut.
Elsewhere, Yai has starred in campaigns for Mugler’s Alien fragrance and commercial brands like Gap, walked the Victoria Secret runway, magazine covers including Perfect, Vogue France and Allure – the latter of which she shared with last years’ Model of the Year Alex Consani.
Instead of the usual five nominated models making up the category, this year industry experts convened to crown the winner, with no nominations announced beforehand. This jury who were picked to decide Yai’s fate included the BFC’s new CEO Laura Weir, Dazed’s fashion features director Emma Davidson, photographer Campbell Addy, stylist Carlos Nazario, casting director Emma Matell, former Dazed editorial director Kacion Mayers, movement director Pat Boguslawski, and 10 Magazine editor-in-chief Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou.
Outside of the Model of the Year category, 2025’s Fashion Awards are still anyone’s for the taking. The ceremony is due to take place at the Royal Albert Hall in London next month, while the list of nominees were decided back in July. See below to see who’s up for an award and scroll through the gallery above to revisit Yai’s winter 2023 Dazed cover.
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Glenn Martens for Diesel and Maison Margiela
Jonathan Anderson for DIOR and JW Anderson
Martine Rose for Martine Rose
Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu
Rick Owens for Rick Owens
Willy Chavarria for Willy Chavarria
BRITISH WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault for KNWLS
Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena for Chopova Lowena
Erdem Moralıoğlu for ERDEM
Sarah Burton for Givenchy
Simone Rocha for Simone Rocha
BRITISH MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Craig Green for Craig Green
Foday Dumbuya for LABRUM London
Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner
Kiko Kostadinov for KIKO KOSTADINOV
Nicholas Daley for Nicholas Daley
Stefan Cooke and Jake Burt for STEFAN COOKE
VANGUARD
Aaron Esh for AARON ESH
Dilara Fındıkoğlu for Dilara Fındıkoğlu
Feben for FEBEN
Steve O Smith for Steve O Smith
Tolu Coker for TOLU COKER
Torishéju Dumi for TORISHÉJU