Held by the British Fashion Council, the British Fashion Awards gala seeks to celebrate and uplift the shining gems within the industry. Taking place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, one of the awards’ most coveted prizes is the ‘Best Independent Brand’. Free from the constraints of a parent company, self-sustaining, forward-thinking labels are few and far between – which is precisely why Wales Bonner shines.

Headed by Grace Wales Bonner, the designer was delighted to receive the award on behalf of her eponymous label from music giants Burna Boy and Stormzy, as well as model Yasmin Finney. The prize was inaugurated last year, with Simone Rocha taking the crown, and the aim of the award is to champion an independent business that has made the most notable impact on the fashion industry over the past year.

Wales Bonner has emerged as an unparalleled brand within the industry, receiving a chorus of critical praise for weaving together broad cultural research, literature, art, and a multiplicity of perspectives. Proposing a distinct notion of cultural luxury, Wales Bonner infuses European heritage with an Afro Atlantic spirit. The brand’s last collection, SS23, featured a Sankofa motif – a backwards-looking bird, which is a symbol of Ghana’s Akan tribe. It symbolises “going back to go forward,” and this is precisely Wales Bonner’s ethos. Taking the past to propel itself into the future, Wales Bonner crafts the old into the new – and the seen into the unseen.

At the British Fashion Awards, Wales Bonner graced the likes of influential photographer Liz Johnson Artur, and models Dennis Okwera, Jonas Gloer and Selena Forrest, amongst others. It was truly an evening wherein Wales Bonner was brought light to, and uplifted. Reflecting on her win, Grace Wales Bonner says: “I am really honoured to be included in this category. It is wonderful to see the BFC is recognising the work of independent designers in this way. To be acknowledged in this line up means so much to me and our team, it’s wonderful and really encouraging.”

Since its launch only eight years ago, Wales Bonner is well on its way to becoming a household name; we’re definitely in for the ride.