While collecting one of her awards, the reigning queen of eco-fashion remembered that when she decided to leave Parisian brand Chloe to start her own label, her boss-man executive at the company — nicknamed “Mr. Anonymous” — said she was guaranteed to fail, due to the nature of the British fashion industry:
“He said, ‘Stella, you will live to regret this. You will fail. And I offer you to stay here and start your brand in Paris with us.’ I was really grateful for his offer but I stuck to my instincts and said that I still wanted to go.
As I left he said — in his French accent — ‘you need to know: there has never in the history of fashion been a British fashion house with a woman’s name on the label that has ever been truly global.’ So I guess I do have to thank him —Mr Anonymous. Although I disagree with him: there is Dame Vivienne, amongst others. But I will never forget how I felt that day leaving his office. I couldn’t be more determined to prove him wrong. And with this award I feel like I am at the start of doing that.”
Congrats Stella!!! You show that sexist French jerk how successful you are!!!
The other winners, because the best part of winning is being recognized as a winner (some presented with comment):
Alexa Chung — British Style Award
(Shocker.)
J.W. Anderson — Emerging Talent Award – Ready-to-Wear
Manolo Blahnik — Outstanding Achievement Award 2012
Jonathan Saunders — Emerging Talent Award – Menswear
Harold Tillman — Special Recognition Award 2012
(This is basically just an award for being really, really rich.)
Roksanda Ilincic — Red Carpet Award
Nicholas Kirkwood — Accessory Designer Award
(Cheers!)
Professor Louise Wilson — Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator
(“Good choice!” says everyone, everywhere.)
Erdem Moralioglu — New Establishment Award
(Yes yes yes to both the award and the winner.)
Cara Delevingne — Model Award
(I don’t have anything nice to say. Hmm. She does have really nice eyebrows.)
Kim Jones — Menswear Designer Award
[via Telegraph, British Fashion Awards]
Image via WENN
