10 Highlights of the 2021 Fashion Awards at Royal Albert Hall

LONDON — The Fashion Awards 2021 gala, which took place at Royal Albert Hall on Monday, was the industry’s first major live event since lockdown lifted.

It was a memorable night, with fulsome tributes to Virgil Abloh who died on Sunday; accolades for Tommy Hilfiger, who won the Outstanding Achievement award, and a focus on diversity, inclusion and the people driving change.

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Here, 10 of the highlights from the evening:

Idris Elba‘s farewell to his friend Virgil Abloh, during which he read aloud Maya Angelou’s poem “When Great Trees Fall.” It was part of a series of tributes that the BFC pulled together in less than 24 hours.

The dance performance by the American dancer Lil Buck, whose limbs flowed like liquid across the stage.

Kylie Minogue and her dancers performing in Richard Quinn catsuits. She sang her 2003 hit “Slow.”

The panko chicken burgers and buttermilk tofu served up in black boxes for dinner, the best (and most satisfying) meal so far in the history of the awards.

Tommy’s Margarita, one of the cocktails that kicked off the evening.

Billy Porter’s glittering array of outfits, including a set of ferocious, pointy shoulders by Richard Quinn.

Kris Jenner’s loyalty: She left a Thanksgiving celebration with 30 family members to fly to London and hand Tommy Hilfiger his award on the night. She cried onstage as she remembered her “dear friend, Virgil,” calling him a “visionary.”

Kris Jenner and Tommy Hilfiger - Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images f
Kris Jenner and Tommy Hilfiger - Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images f

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images f

Law Roach’s admission that he loved Tommy Hilfiger clothes so much as a teenager that he used to steal them from Marshall Fields in Chicago. “Yes, I was willing to risk it all for Tommy Jeans” overalls, he said.

Tommy’s mini fashion show at the end of the night, featuring music through the decades and culminating with Naomi Campbell swaggering down the catwalk. “We go back a long way,” said Hilfiger about the model.

Alessandro Michele’s avatar presenting the first ever fashion award for Metaverse Design to the cSapphire virtual clothing store.

See Also:

Virgil Abloh’s Legacy Honored at Fashion Awards in London

Tommy on the Metaverse, and Why He’s Still Fixated on Buttons, Linings

Harris Reed Spreads His Message of Fluidity Far and Wide

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