Olsens, Blazy and Burton lead 2026 Fashion Awards race
Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen will face the new leaders of Chanel, Celine and Givenchy for Designer of the Year at the 2026 Fashion Awards.
The British Fashion Council, the industry body behind the awards, named six contenders for the top prize: the Olsens for The Row, the American label they founded; Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent, the French house; Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford, the American luxury label; Matthieu Blazy for Chanel, the French luxury house; Michael Rider for Celine, the French house; and Sarah Burton for Givenchy, the French house, according to the shortlist reported by WWD.
The winners will be announced on 30 November at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The Council unveiled the nominations on 16 September.
The British Womenswear Designer of the Year shortlist mixes luxury and high street. It names Clare Waight Keller for Uniqlo, the Japanese high-street retailer; Erdem Moralioglu for Erdem, his London-based label; Louise Trotter for Bottega Veneta, the Italian house; Sarah Burton for Givenchy; and Simone Rocha, the Irish designer behind her London-based label.
Burton and Rocha both appear twice. Rocha is also shortlisted for British Menswear Designer of the Year, alongside Foday Dumbuya for Labrum, the London-based label; Kiko Kostadinov, the London-based menswear designer; Nick Wakeman for Studio Nicholson, the London label; and Simon Holloway for Dunhill, the British menswear house.
The Vanguard Award, for emerging design talent, lists Ellie Misner, Steve O Smith, Tolu Coker and Conner Ives. Sandra Choi will receive a Special Recognition Award for her work in the industry and her leadership of Jimmy Choo, the London-based shoe brand.
A jury of 18 media and retail professionals drew up the shortlists. Winners will be decided by confidential ballots of a wider industry voting committee.
What makes this stand out is the breadth. One ballot puts independent London labels beside Paris houses and a high-street collaboration. For anyone watching, it is a quick map of who shaped what people wore this year.
