UKFT announces NatWest awards winners

[Fibre2fashion]

The winners of the prestigious NatWest UK Fashion & Textile Awards 2013 have been announced with industry visionary, Nadja Swarovski, collecting the Outstanding Achievement Award for her exceptional contribution to the fashion industry.

 

The coveted awards were presented by HRH The Princess Royal, President of UKFT, at a glittering gala ceremony hosted by Myleene Klass at London’s trendy One Mayfair venue last night. The highly anticipated event brought together industry leaders, brands, retailers, celebrities and media to celebrate the UK’s most creative, innovative and commercially successful fashion and textile businesses.

The evening saw eleven awards presented across a diverse selection of categories representing all corners of the industry, with five businesses also noted as highly commended for their achievements.

Celebrating high-quality fashion and textiles made on UK shores, turnaround success story Harris Tweed Hebrides scooped the Let’s Make it Here UK Manufacturer of the Year Award, as well as Textile Business of the Year for their beautifully crafted fabrics made in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. 

Supporting fashion’s upcoming stars, the Hotel Indigo UKFT Rise Newcomer was presented to luxury label Emma J Shipley, founded in 2012, in recognition of her successes with her opulent scarves and textiles, which blur the boundaries between fine art and fashion.

Designer Christopher Raeburn was the deserving recipient of the hotly contested Designer of the Year Award, celebrated not only for his continued commercial success in the UK and abroad, but also for his unique and innovative approach to fashion design. Christopher is currently on a meteoric rise through the fashion ranks with his own collection and also through his collaboration with Victorinox. He collected the UKFT Rising Star Award in 2011.

Other notable winners on the evening included iconic retailer Liberty London who were honoured as the Torque UKFT Retailer of the Year in recognition of their support for quality British collections; Tatty Devine, the quirky jewellery and accessories label who picked up the Accessories Business Award, high street trend-setter Ted Baker, who took away the prize for Brand of the Year, and recent success story The Cambridge Satchel Company, whose international growth saw them win the  Exporter of the Year award.