Bethany Williams to Receive Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design
U.K. ACCOLADE: Bethany Williams will be the second winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, following Richard Quinn, who received the accolade from the Queen herself following his fall 2018 London Fashion Week show last February.
Williams plans to show on Feb. 19, the last day of London Fashion Week. She will be showing her current collection, which is called Adelaide House, although it remains unclear whether the Queen will be sitting in the front row for this second edition of the awards.
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The award recognizes an emerging designer who shows exceptional talent and demonstrates strong sustainable policies and/or community engagement. Williams will be recognized for her sustainable practices in design as well as her commitment to spotlighting environmental issues through her platform.
“I am absolutely delighted that Bethany Williams has been recognized with the Queen Elizabeth II Award for Design. Ever since Bethany graduated from MA Menswear at London College of Fashion in 2016, she has been unwavering in her desire to create a business based on her values — with social and environmental issues at its heart,” said Frances Corner, professor and head of London College of Fashion.
For her current collection, Williams created a collection from newspaper waste and recycled denim and collaborated with Adelaide House, a women’s shelter in Liverpool to highlight issues of domestic abuse and homelessness. The previous season, Williams collaborated with The Quaker Mobile Library and British Publishing House Hachette U.K. to fashion clothes out of recycled book waste.
“She embodies a system change that many doubted was possible. Bethany’s work represents the intelligent and considerate ways that fashion can and should be. This award, which is so richly deserved, should demonstrate that it is possible to embrace and face head-on the challenges that threaten our industry, from resource depletion to climate change,” Corner added.
A percentage of profits made from her collections are given back to the charities and organizations that Williams collaborates with, and for her current collection, 20 percent of profits will be given to Adelaide House.
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