The King presents the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design

First presented by Queen Elizabeth II at London Fashion Week in 2018, the award was initiated in recognition of the role played by British design and fashion in the country’s culture and trade.

The King was joined at the event by leading figures in the fashion industry, as well as those championing sustainable fashion.

As Prince of Wales, His Majesty spearheaded the establishment of the SMI Sustainable Fashion Task Force, which brings together a range of brands, platforms and retailers from all over the world to pioneer a more sustainable future for the fashion industry.

His Majesty also had the opportunity to meet recipients of the BFC Foundation’s scholarships and designer support schemes, and view their designs. The BFC Foundation’s schemes provide financial support to up-and-coming designers, as well as showcasing and mentoring opportunities to help the designers build their brands.

The King then presented the 2023 award to LABRUM London. Founded by Foday Dumbuya, LABRUM is inspired by Foday’s formative years learning and growing up in Sierra Leone, Cyprus and London. The brand’s aesthetic is a narration of the untold stories of the diaspora merging West African values with British tailoring. 

Following the presentation, His Majesty watched an immersive performance created by the winner of the award. Before departing, The King also visited award winner’s design studio to see where their work comes to life.

The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design was first presented by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018. The Award has since been presented by Her Majesty Queen Camilla in 2019, The Princess Royal in 2020, The Duchess of Edinburgh in 2021 and The Princess of Wales in 2022.

The Queen Elizabeth II Design Award

The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, initiated in recognition of the role the fashion industry plays in society and diplomacy, is awarded annually, and normally presented by a Member of the Royal Family.

The award is typically presented to an emerging British fashion designer of womenswear, menswear, or accessories that shows exceptional talent and originality, whilst demonstrating value to the community and strong sustainable policies.

The design of the Award itself was inspired by the Queen Elizabeth rose and was hand-produced in 2018 by Lucy Price at Bauhinia Studios in Birmingham's famous jewellery quarter.

Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI)

The Sustainable Markets Initiative was founded by The King when he was The Prince of Wales. Launched at The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos, and under the mandate of the Terra Carta, the Sustainable Markets Initiative's mission is to build a coordinated global effort that enables the private sector to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. This includes aligning industry, investment and country roadmaps.

The Terra Carta provides a roadmap to 2030 for businesses to move towards sustainable markets; one that will harness the power of Nature combined with the transformative power, innovation and resources of the private sector.

SMI Sustainable Fashion Task Force

The SMI Fashion Task Force is committed to providing leadership to the global fashion, textile and apparel sectors, working to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable future.

The Fashion Task Force is working on a Digital ID system designed to inform consumers of the sustainability credentials of their garments, through the development of verifiability around what can be considered as a sustainable fashion product.

The group is also exploring how regenerative farming practices, across raw materials, can reverse the damage being done to the planet.

The Fashion Task Force operates as an industry sub-group of the SMI and is chaired by Federico Marchetti, technology entrepreneur and sustainable fashion pioneer. Its members are drawn from across a range of brands, platforms and retailers from all over the world.