London Kickstarts Fashion Awards With ‘Rainbow Ruffle Holiday Tree’
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LONDON — The fashion industry gathered on Sunday to kickstart the Fashion Awards 2019, which are to be held Monday night at Royal Albert Hall.
Stephanie Phair and Caroline Rush, chairman and chief executive officer, respectively, of the British Fashion Council hosted a cocktail reception at the Dean Street Soho House for this year’s awards nominees and new wave creatives. Designer Bethany Williams, recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Award, model Adesuwa Aighewi and Japanese influencer duo the Ami and Aya Suzuki sisters were among the guests.
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After the cocktails, the crowd moved to Katie Grand’s Love magazine Christmas party.
“The Christmas tree has arrived,” cried guests as Matty Bovan swept into the room in a large rainbow, ruffle cape. The floor-sweeping cape was designed by Tomo Koizumi and was called “Rainbow Ruffle Holiday Tree.” Koizumi’s cape of many colors also had many uses — not only was it worn, it was also suspended from the ceiling upstairs, hanging “like a tent,” according to the designer.
Shortly after his arrival, Bovan — who joined guests including Courtney Love, Giles Deacon, Iris Law, Pixie Geldof, Pam Hogg, Nick Grimshaw, Rafferty Law, Tim Walker, Cora Corré and Lily McMenamy — was getting a little hot under all of that rippling polyester froth, 328 feet of fabric to be exact. And it’s no wonder. Underneath, he was wearing a black latex outfit, a material he plans to reprise for the 2019 Fashion Awards on Monday night.
Koizumi said he met Bovan through the evening’s hostess and Love editor in chief Grand, who was wearing a giant Marc Jacobs dress that was almost as big as the ruffled tree. Koizumi said he’s working on special projects right now, enjoying himself and not focusing on selling for the moment.
Later in the evening the designer lifted the cape off Bovan, hung it from the ceiling in the dining room of Bistrotheque and swapped the traditional star for a draped gold metallic bow at the top.
Guests enjoyed the rest of the night with “Twinkle Toes” vodka cocktails and danced to Grand’s iPhone playlist, which included Loose Joints’ “Is It All Over My Face,” Liza Minnelli’s “All That Jazz” and Luscious Jackson’s “Naked Eye.”
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