LONDON – Rei Kawakubo, Adrian Joffe and Dickon Bowden will be recognized for their work at the groundbreaking retailer Dover Street Market during the Fashion Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Dec. 1.
The trio will receive the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator following “their incredible contribution to the global fashion industry,” according to the British Fashion Council.
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The BFC added that Dover Street Market “continues to shape the global conversation” through its locations and various concepts in London, Tokyo, New York City, Singapore, Beijing, Los Angeles and Paris.
The concept store and luxury marketplace opened on London’s Dover Street in 2004 and later moved to Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus. It is a destination space known for innovation and experimentation, and is flourishing in a difficult retail environment.
DSM supports emerging talent and established brands, and looks at fashion through the lens of wider culture, with cross-disciplinary collaborations and thought-provoking displays that blend art, fashion and design.
The BFC said Kawakubo, creative director of Comme des Garçons and co-founder of DSM, “has greatly influenced the contemporary fashion industry with her revolutionary designs, and shaped the conceptual foundation of DSM.”
Joffe, president of Comme des Garçons International and CEO and co-founder of DSM, has been “instrumental in the brand curation and evolution” of the store’s concept over time, the BFC added.
It described Bowden, vice president of DSM, as a “guiding force” in the company’s international expansion.
Laura Weir, CEO of the BFC, said the trio deserved the award for their “steadfast commitment to innovation, support for emerging talent and dedication to building an authentic creative community. They continue to influence the industry and challenge wider fashion discourse.”
The Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator recognizes innovators who bring “designers’ creations to life and help create worlds within brands.”
Previous winners include Tyler Mitchell, Campbell Addy, Edward Enninful, IB Kamara, Katie Grand, Amanda Harlech, Mert & Marcus, Nick Knight, Pat McGrath, Professor Louise Wilson and Sam McKnight.
Other winners on the night will include Delphine Arnault, who will receive a Special Recognition Award for her “exceptional contribution” to the global fashion industry, and “longstanding commitment to championing emerging talent.”
Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur Brunello Cucinelli will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award, which is earmarked for those who have consistently shaped and reshaped the fashion world with their creativity.
Previous recipients of that award include Tom Ford, Valentino Garavani, Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada, Ralph Lauren, Karl Lagerfeld and Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia.
The annual Fashion Awards event is a key fundraiser for the BFC Foundation, and the money goes towards supporting students and fashion talent through a variety of programs.
The BFC Foundation offers four talent prizes: the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund; the BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund; BFC Newgen; and the BFC Fashion Trust.
The foundation also offers BA and MA scholarships to students and connects them with industry figures through design competitions and Graduate Preview Day, which takes place each year.
