SAM SMITH TO BE HONOURED WITH THE CULTURAL INNOVATOR AWARD AT THE FASHION AWARDS 2023 PRESENTED BY PANDORA

The British Fashion Council (BFC) is delighted to announce that English singer and songwriter, Sam Smith, will be honoured as a Cultural Innovator at The Fashion Awards 2023 (TFA) presented by Pandora, taking place on Monday 4th December at the Royal Albert Hall, London. TFA, organised by the BFC, are the primary fundraiser for the BFC Foundation and celebrate the role of fashion at the intersection of culture and entertainment, spotlighting creative talent and telling the stories of the year in fashion through the lens of purpose, excellence, and creativity.

The Cultural Innovator Award celebrates a leading innovator and imagemaker in the entertainment industry, who over the course of the year, has created viral fashion moments which have had a profound impact on the fashion industry and wider culture. Smith is a globally renowned non-binary artist, who throughout their career, has won five Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, and an American Music Award, as well as a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. Smith will be awarded for their bold and fluid fashion choices which have ignited impactful conversations on self-expression, identity, and inclusivity.

Smith has cemented themselves as a fashion trailblazer by inspiring people to embrace their own individuality and practice self-acceptance. In January 2023, Smith released their fourth studio album, Gloria, and for its promotion and tour, they have consistently worked with a number of incredible creatives to bring their artistic vision to life. At the Brit Awards 2023, Smith wore a custom black balloon latex look by the London-based and BFC NEWGEN designer, HARRI. The ensemble garnered significant attention online and was one of the most viral fashion moments of the year.

In February 2023, Smith wore a custom all-red Valentino ensemble for the 65th Grammy Awards where they were joined on the red carpet with trans singer-songwriter Kim Petras and drag queens Violet Chachki and Gottmik. It is considered one of Smith’s most daring and showstopping looks yet and showcases their unique ability to amplify queer culture and style on a global stage. While Smith frequently collaborates with fashion’s biggest names and houses, they also enlist the help and creativity of emerging designers to create innovative looks. For their Gloria tour, Smith collaborated with London-based designer and Central Saint Martins graduate, Ed Marler, to create an embellished golden corset for one of the show looks. Smith has also performed at various UK designer showcases, including Harris Reed‘s (Central Saint Martins graduate) AW22 collection in London and Christian Cowan’s (Central Saint Martins graduate) SS24 collection in Paris.

Caroline Rush, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council: “We are thrilled to honour Sam Smith with the very first Cultural Innovator Award at The Fashion Awards 2023. Smith is a true cultural innovator who has fearlessly pushed the boundaries of both fashion and entertainment and inspired countless individuals across the world to embrace their true selves. Smith’s unapologetic and groundbreaking style choices have dominated the industry in 2023 and we are incredibly grateful for their continued support of UK designers. We look forward to celebrating with them in December.”

The Fashion Awards 2023 presented by Pandora bring together a global community in London, the home of fashion creativity, to amplify leaders of change, celebrate excellence in creativity, and support the next generation of creative talent. The event is the primary fundraiser of the BFC Foundation (Registered Charity Number: 1185152), which supports the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on education, grant-giving, and business mentoring. In the financial year 2022/2023, the BFC remitted over £1.2M in funds to designers and scholars.

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