Award-winning British designer Christopher Bailey can add another honor to his resume this year. The Queen’s New Year’s Honors’ List reveals that the former Burberry chief creative officer will once again be recognized by the British monarchy for his contributions to fashion, and will be receiving a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire or a CBE.
It can be remembered that the designer left Burberry last year, after serving the British fashion house for 17 long years, beginning when he was just 29. During that period, he has occupied different positions prior to becoming president and chief creative officer in 2014: design director, creative director, chief creative officer, which he took on in 2001, 2004, and 2009, respectively. He is credited for bringing back the spark to the British heritage brand and making it a digital pioneer, using social media to its advantage and gaining an edge with its online campaigns, such as the successful Art of the Trench project.
Besides elevating the nova check into something that’s cool again among the young through social media, Bailey’s time has also been marked with notable ambassadors. The brand has done high profile campaigns with countless British celebrities, a list that includes Eddie Redmayne, Emma Watson, and Sienna Miller, among others. It has also gained countless famous fans, with Harry Styles, Joan Collins and Alexa Chung just a few of them. Bailey’s runway shows were also memorable, including his very last as Burberry’s chief creative officer, which was a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community and had Cara Delevingne strut with a glorious rainbow-colored coat on.
Bailey has received accolades for his time with Burberry. He has been awarded the Menswear Designer of the Year thrice and Designer of the Year by the then British Fashion Awards. In 2009, he received a Master of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire or an MBE, which makes 2019 the second time his work has been recognized by the Queen.
Bailey is not the only fashion personality included in the Queen’s list. Twiggy, a cultural icon and one of the most recognizable faces during the Swinging Sixties, is set to become a dame for her contributions not only to fashion but also to charity and the arts. Ninety-year old Daphne Selfe, widely considered to be the world’s oldest supermodel, will receive a British Empire Medal or a BEM for her services to fashion and women. Anne Furbank, who started her eponymous business in 1981, and Harper Bazaar’s Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey will likewise be honored for their work in fashion and charity. Margaret Atwood, Christopher Nolan, Nick Mason, and Michael Palin are also among the most notable names in the long list; Atwood will be included in the very exclusive Order of the Companions of Honour, which only has a maximum of 65 members at any given time.
Image credits: Christopher Bailey, Getty Images, Burberry, Ben Stansall, Dave Benett, AFP
