CFE is delighted to announce that Fashion Pioneer designer and London College of Fashion, UAL alumna, Bethany Williams will be presented with the QEII Award for Design by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen at London Fashion Week.

The QEII Award for Design was initiated in recognition of the role the fashion industry plays in society and diplomacy and the movement of young designers that are both talented and making a difference to society through either sustainable practices or community engagement.

Bethany Williams believes that social and environmental issues go hand in hand and through exploring the connection between these issues that innovative design solutions to sustainability can be found.

“I am absolutely delighted that Bethany Williams has been recognised with the Queen Elizabeth II Award for Design. Her collections prove that fashion need not come at any cost to people and planet. Ever since Bethany graduated from MA Menswear at London College of Fashion, UAL 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. 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. Beautifully crafted pieces that customers can treasure – fashion that is meaningful that connects us with humanity – to the people that made the garment, who weaved the textile and carved the buttons. Fashion that encourages social enterprise and gives a percentage of profits back to good causes. This way of working is not easy; to create a business that places sustainability and social responsibility at its core is not without challenges, but 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. I am immensely proud of Bethany and privileged that she continues to work with the college through our ‘Making for Change’ initiative at HMP Downview and look forward to supporting her continued success.” – Professor Frances Corner OBE, Head of London College of Fashion, UAL 

Her current collection ‘Adelaide House,’ which will be shown on catwalk at London Fashion Week on Tuesday 19 February at 4.00 pm builds on the environmental and socially enterprising foundations laid by her previous collections including her SS19 collection, ‘No Address Needed to Join.’

In line with all of Bethany’s previous collections – Adelaide House has been produced using recycled and organic materials. Bethany has worked alongside Liverpool’s, The Echo Newspaper, utilizing their waste products and continues to work with San Patrignano in Italy – a community that welcomes those suffering from drug addiction and marginalization and helps them to once again find their way. Bethany has created fabrics mixed from book waste from San Patrignano and pre-production waste from mills in Italy.

Bethany has created an alternative system for fashion production, she believes fashion is a reflection of society and can create positive change – she is proving that fashion can be extraordinary, individual, beautiful AND take into account the people and the resources in the system. She exemplifies an ethos which is capable of changing the way we view fashion – and how we might safeguard the industry against a backdrop of climate change and political upheaval.

Congratulations Bethany!