Alexander McQueen’s creative director, Sarah Burton, accepted her Vanguard award at the ELLE Style Awards tonight, September 5, at The Old Sessions House in London.
Wearing an Alexander McQueen suit, the British designer thanked actor Letitia Wright, who presented the award, referring to Burton as ‘the nicest woman in fashion’.
Wright introduced Burton by way of saying: ‘Sarah Burton has helmed and guarded one of the most precious legacies and archives in fashion’s history for more than half her life,’ referring to her extensive contribution to A Team Arts Education (a youth arts programme) and 2012 OBE for services to the British fashion industry. ‘Sarah uses her influence to change lives beyond the runway.’
As well as being the head of a well-established fashion house, Burton works actively with the Tower Hamlets based charity to support the next generation of creative leaders.
‘Talent comes from everywhere, irrespective of background,’ Burton recently told ELLE UK. ‘The very foundations of this house are built on this.’
After taking over the reins from her friend and brand founder Alexander ‘Lee’ McQueen, Burton has made it her mission to honour his legacy, particularly through her championing of students. Both Burton and McQueen came from humble beginnings and were determined to help the fashion industry become more inclusive.
‘It is vital to me that we offer continued support to young people,’ she says. ‘The programmes are something I fundamentally believe in.
‘The interactions we have with young people – their ideas, creativity and imagination – continue to be an inspiration to me.’
When accepting her award, Burton said that she was proud to be able to support the arts ‘in a time in the UK when creativity is underfunded.’
