After Irish designers stole the spotlight at last year’s event, the 2025 British Fashion Council Awards had a lot to live up to and ultimately delivered another standout night for Irish designers and stars alike. The event, taking place on December 1st in The Royal Albert Hall, was a night of glamour that served to raise over £1 million for the British Fashion Council Foundation, which aims to enable sustainable growth in the fashion industry.
Turning our attention to everything Irish fashion, countless stars took to the red carpet, including acclaimed actress Caitríona Balfe. The Monaghan native got her start walking the runway of Miu Miu and Dolce & Gabbana but ultimately found lasting success in Outlander. Her high-fashion roots remain evident in every red carpet appearance, and this evening was no exception as the actress donned a sleek Louis Vuitton floor-length dress with her leather-look Paula Rowan gloves, adding a striking edge to her classic look. Irish media personality Laura Whitmore sported a refreshingly unconventional red carpet look by Irish designer Sasha Donnellan, whose recent collection presented at Ireland Fashion Week turned heads for its elegantly minimalistic gowns and knits. Whitmore’s bespoke dress, paired with an asymmetrical tartan cape and secured with a claddagh brooch, seamlessly blended red-carpet glam and traditional Irish attire. Emma Dabiri was a figure of some much-needed whimsy in an all-white Hermoina DePaula gown, with the writer describing her look as “fairy princess fashion” on her Instagram. DePaula’s bridal elegance was on full display in this mostly sheer look with beautiful corseting and flower detailing on the bust. Love Island fan-favourite turned social media star, Maura Higgins, stole the show in Fall/Winter 2025/26 Robert Wun, who had a great year styling global superstars like Ariana Grande and Blackpink’s Jennie. Higgins stunned in the geometric silhouette and pinstripe detail outfit, with the dramatically tall headdress being the literal cherry on top and securing her as one of the night’s most memorable looks.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the night was the eagerly anticipated award for Designer of the Year, which was received by Jonathon Anderson for Dior and his renewed lifestyle brand JW Anderson, marking a monumental moment for the Derry-born designer who collected the award for the third time. Having won consecutively for the past two years, Anderson set an impressive fashion history record. The designer took to the stage in his signature casual style, sporting light-wash jeans, a white shirt and a black suit jacket with Shamrocks on his lapel. The other notable Irish nominee was Simone Rocha for the category of Womenswear Designer of the Year, having taken home the prize the previous year. The designer may have been disappointed not to repeat the win, but her designs still had their moment to shine on the red carpet. Rocha dressed the event’s CEO, Laura Weir, along with actor Ncuti Gatwa, most known for his role in Sex Education and more recently as Doctor Who. Rocha herself attended the event in a beautifully miscellaneous all black ensemble with a bedazzled bunny under her arm as she told Dazed she was hoping for “excitement and collaboration” for her work in the coming year.
The evening, acting as a pivotal moment in the fashion calendar, ultimately reinforced Ireland’s growing influence in the international fashion scene, with both its stars and designers commanding attention by setting the tone rather than following it.