Scottish Fashion Awards: Night of glitz and glamour in city of style

Celebrities flew in from around the world to attend the seventh Scottish Fashion Awards at the Clyde Auditorium, where the host, British fashion icon Alexa Chung, lived up to her stylish reputation in a smart, tailored summer dress with a pale blue and brown flowery design paired with a white blouse.

Stella Tennant, Scottish-born supermodel and the current face of Chanel, was inducted into the Scottish Fashion Awards Hall of Fame in recognition of her 20 years at the top, prompting personal video messages from legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld and fashion photographer Mario Testino.

Christopher Kane was Scottish Fashion Designer of the Year, and Annie Lennox’s daughter, Tali, was Scottish Model of the Year. Rising fashion star Karen Gillan – of Doctor Who fame – picked up the award for Scottish Fashion Icon 2012.

Former Bond actress Jane Seymour and American film star Angela Bassett sent personal messages of congratulations, broadcast from Los Angeles, to Dundee-born designer Brian Rennie after he won Fashion Innovator. Accepting his award, Mr Kane, wearing a mixture of Prada, Versace and his own label, said he was “extremely proud and grateful”.

He added: “I think that Scotland has such a wealth of great fashion talent, from design through to production, and the heritage is something that we should all be proud of.”

Supermodel and face of Dolce & Gabanna, David Gandy, joined UK TV personalities, including Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, in the audience at the glitzy affair.

VIP guests were chauffeured by Mercedes-Benz from official hotel partner Blythswood Square to the red carpet and auditorium, where they were treated to a Moët champagne reception, before a four-course gala dinner.

Entertainment included exclusive catwalk shows and music from Scottish teenage singer Tallia Storm, fresh from her performance at Sir Elton John’s concert in Falkirk the night before. The late Amy Winehouse’s goddaughter, Dionne Bromfield, also performed, wearing a fringe-hemmed, print dress by Scottish designer Holly Fulton, one of the nominees for Scottish Fashion Designer of the Year.

The annual show has cemented Glasgow’s place as a permanent fixture on the global “red carpet” calendar. Organisers lived up to their “Oscar”-style status with VIP goodie bags valued at more than £350.

Each limited-edition canvas tote, created by Scots designer Holly Fulton, contained treats including a Radley leather purse, Swarovski Aura perfume and a Mary Portas scarf from House of Fraser, with traditional Scottish shortbread from Walkers.

The official after-party featured top sets from Capital FM DJs Mash and Garry Spence.

Other winners included Glasgow-born Faye MacLeod, who collected Scottish Fashion Communicator of the Year for her work as creative visual director at luxury house Louis Vuitton.

Top fashion editors for style bibles such as Vogue, from countries including America and France, were among the guests.

The accolade of Fashion Ambassador went to leading fashion journalist Colin McDowell, MBE, who said he was “deeply honoured”.

He added: “I am especially pleased that it has come from Scotland, the home of my ancestors.”

An array of Scottish designers and textile houses attended the ceremony, including Holly Fulton, Louise Gray and Dashing Tweeds, along with some of fashion’s most prominent business figures, such as the founder of billion-dollar make-up brand Bare Escentuals, Leslie Blodgett, who flew in for the show from San Francisco. Chairman of House of Fraser John King and the communications director of Marks & Spencer, Dominic Fry, attended the event.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that awards founder and chairman Tessa Hartmann is to receive an honorary degree from Glasgow Caledonian University later this month, in recognition of her achievements in promoting Scotland’s contribution to the fashion industry at home and internationally.

Ms Hartmann, who was dressed in a black floor-length gown, said the event had placed Glasgow and Scotland firmly on the global fashion map as a result of the awards’ success.

She said: “It’s a very special night for ‘Fashion Scotland’ this evening. We do like to punch above our weight.I just can’t believe that so many people have flown in from around the world to attend… This is a now a serious commercial platform for our textile companies, young designers and fashion retailers living and working in Scotland.”

Asked about guests’ experience of the red-carpet treatment, Scottish-style, Ms Hartmann added: “We’ve given them quite a party this evening and a wonderful vision of Scotland in an exciting and vibrant British fashion scene.”

The show closed with an exclusive première of Swarovski’s “Kingdom of Jewels Collection”, which had been brought from Paris to Scotland for the night to mark the event’s listing on the jewellery company-sponsored European red-carpet calender.

• Full coverage plus interviews with the winners on www.scotsman.com/fashion