Kim Jones receives inaugural trailblazer accolade at Fashion Awards
Reporting from London — Kim Jones, artistic director of Dior men’s wear, will be among the British and international names to step onto the stage at Royal Albert Hall Monday night as the winner of the inaugural Trailblazer award.
The award marks Jones’ “always-on cultural zeitgeist and his reputation for challenging the norms while respecting heritage, history, creativity and innovation,” the British Fashion Council said, adding the award recognizes “the very best innovators and creatives in fashion” who are significantly shaping the industry.
The BFC pointed to Jones’ collaboration with KAWS to reinterpret the Dior bee emblem and the designer’s appeal to a growing female audience, “reflecting the trend for men and women forgetting the gender focus of a collection and buying pieces they simply want to own and wear.”
“His love for travel, international cultures and understanding of consumers further enhance his creative and commercial standing,” said Caroline Rush, chief executive officer of the BFC, adding the organization is “very proud he is British born, educated and a great global ambassador for our industry.”
Jones, a Central Saint Martins graduate, said: “This recognition for my work means a lot to me.”
The Fashion Awards, which is sponsored mainly by Swarovski, is the main fundraiser for the BFC, a not for profit that aims to put the focus on education, business and mentoring schemes targeting students, emerging designers, start-ups and established brands.
Swarovski has pledged a 300,000 pounds donation to the BFC Education Foundation in advance of this year’s event.
Last year, the BFC raised more than 2.2 million pounds for its charities and business support initiatives and in the twelve months to March 2018 allocated 1.1 million pounds in grants to designer businesses. Other companies sponsoring the 2018 event include American Express, Bird in Hand, Digital Domain, Getty Images, Lavazza, Mercedes-Benz, Rosewood London and Slingsby Gin.
