The British Fashion Council (BFC) announced that British-Ghanaian photographer, director and publisher, Campbell Addy, will receive the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at The Fashion Awards 2023 presented by Pandora (TFA), taking place on Monday 4th December at Royal Albert Hall, London. TFA, organised by the BFC, is the primary fundraiser for the BFC Foundation and celebrates 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. Addy will be honoured for his incredible contribution to fashion, photography and culture.
Born and raised in South London and a graduate from Central Saint Martins, Addy is one of fashion’s most exciting and in-demand photographers. Renowned for consistently challenging the industry’s perceptions of beauty and telling the authentic stories of those from Black and queer identities, Addy’s work has been featured in the likes of Dazed, i-D, Rolling Stone Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, TIME and Vogue. Throughout his career, Addy has captured various cultural icons and imagemakers, including Beyoncé, Edward Enninful OBE, FKA Twigs, Naomi Campbell and Tyler, the Creator. Addy has garnered international acclaim making the Dazed 100 list in 2017 and Forbes’ 30 under 30 in 2021, as well as being awarded as a NEW WAVE: Creative at The Fashion Awards in both 2018 and 2019. Addy’s work has also been exhibited in galleries across the world, including in London, Paris, Melbourne, New York and Oslo.
In 2016, Addy launched two platforms – Nii Journal (an arts and culture publication) and Nii Agency (a modelling and casting agency) – which are both dedicated to showcasing under-represented faces. In 2017, Addy displayed his first ever solo exhibition, Matthew 7:7, at KK Outlet, which explored the duplicity of his sexuality and his upbringing. His work was also showcased at Somerset House for the Get Up Stand Up Now exhibition in 2019, which celebrated 50 years of Black creativity. In April 2022, Addy released his monograph, Feeling Seen, which featured images that catalysed his career and included a foreword by British Vogue’s Edward Enninful OBE. Most recently, Addy worked with 180 Studios to create his first ever solo exhibition, I ❤ Campbell, which reflected upon his journey and inspirations and featured 36 original pieces, ranging from images, paintings and a short film shot on location in Ghana.
We are delighted to honour Campbell Addy with the Isabella Blow Award for his remarkable contributions to the fashion industry. Addy is a world leading visionary who wholeheartedly dedicates himself to championing and spotlighting those from under-represented and marginalised backgrounds. Through his progressive and fearless work, Addy has reshaped the perceptions of beauty and style in the industry and brought diversity and inclusion to the forefront. We look forward to celebrating with him in December.
– Caroline Rush, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council
Receiving this award is a humbling and honouring moment. I am overjoyed to be considered amongst the class of such amazing creatives that have come before me. Gratitude to the BFC for highlighting me for such an amazing award. I believe it’s imperative that our industry is forever changing and forever moving, and awarding someone like myself is a symbol of a bright future for the fashion industry. I wouldn’t be here without my wonderful community and numerous incredible collaborators. Thank you to all those I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years. I’ve strived to create work that allows people to be seen, work that celebrates the true beauty of diversity, and I hope to be able to continue to change minds and create new worlds.
– Campbell Addy
The Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator recognises the very best innovators and creatives in fashion, celebrating invaluable contributions that have changed the entire fashion landscape. With a discerning eye and incessant drive, the recipient of the Award has brought designers’ creations to life and helped create worlds within brands. Their dedication to the craft has garnered legions of fans and their incredible body of work has already left an indelible mark on the entire industry. Previous winners of the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator include Edward Enninful OBE, IB Kamara, Katie Grand, Lady Amanda Harlech, Mert & Marcus, Nick Knight OBE, Pat McGrath, Professor Louise Wilson OBE and Sam McKnight.
The Fashion Awards 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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