The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Fund us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • Tumblr

  • RSS


The Walpole Awards for Excellence 2013

The Walpole Awards for Excellence 2013
21 November 2013
Niamh Linehan
Avatar
Niamh Linehan
21 November 2013

The champagne and spicy rum cocktails were flowing last night at the 12th annual Walpole Awards for Excellence held at Banqueting House, Whitehall. Over 450 guests turned out for the awards honouring the best of British luxury in a range of categories, from service and corporate social responsibility to design and emerging talent.

Beneath the Rubens painted ceiling of the Banqueting Hall, presenter Ben Fogle – TV presenter, author, famous castaway and as he divulged later on in the evening, a former Tatler magazine staffer – handed out the awards, alongside judges and sponsors, to ten of the best from the luxury goods industry.

The evening kicked off with the award for Emerging British Luxury Brand. The accolade was awarded to shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood, who fought off stiff competition from the likes of Swarovski and Mary Katrantzou, to take home the title. A humbled Kirkwood appeared on stage to collect his award thanking his amazing team and those at Walpole.

Menswear designer Paul Smith won the British Luxury Design Talent category, beating Redman Whitely Dixon and Victoria Beckham to the title. Jonathan Tull, head of marketing and communications, collected the award on behalf of the company, saying it had been an amazing year for the quintessentially British design house.

Other notable winners from the world of fashion included Cartier, collecting the Corporate Social Responsibility award to the strains of Rihanna’s Diamonds, while Gucci picked up the International Luxury Brand, beating out Michael Kors and Dior in the same category.

Alexander McQueen was announced as the winner of the British Luxury Brand Overseas title. Creative director Sarah Burton accepted the award thanking Jonathan Ackroyd and her wonderful team. The biggest laugh of the evening went to Richard Carter, director of global communications for Rolls Royce (winner of the British Luxury Brand award) who congratulated “all the winners this evening for being the Rolls Royce of their category”.

More poignant moments of the evening included the first-ever Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed to the late David Collins for his contribution to interior design and excellence. Ian Watson, creative director of David Collins Studio, collected the award of behalf of his former friend and colleague. With emotion in his voice, he said David would have been humbled and delighted to receive the award. David, who passed in July, had previously worked with many of the brands associated with Walpole, including Burberry, Jimmy Choo and Claridge’s Bar.

A second Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to none other than former Walpole CEO Julia Carrick. Carrick, who stepped down as CEO of the organisation in 2013, now holds the title of first-ever Global Ambassador at Walpole. She acknowledged that, after 13 years with the company and having initiated the awards 12 years ago, it was both “odd and special” to be a recipient of an award.

Outgoing Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts was awarded the Medal of Excellence for her outstanding contribution to the success of Burberry and the British luxury industry. Accepting the award, Angela noted that it was “bittersweet” to receive, and spoke of her desire to keep Burberry simple when she took the helm, telling the audience that the iconic trench coats, that are synonymous with the Burberry image, still account for 50% of Burberry sales today.

As the evening drew to a close, the winners mingled amongst their fellow nominees, industry insiders, judges and sponsors in the ground floor reception hall, finishing off the last of the champagne, before heading off into the night clutching their well-deserved awards and weighted goody bags.

Niamh Linehan

Photos:  Marcus Dawes

Related Items

More in

Win tickets to see Rip It Up in the West End

The editorial unit
Read More

Tartuffe at the National Theatre

★★★★★
Connor Campbell
Read More

Sleeping trends for 2019

The editorial unit
Read More

BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and All4: Which is better?

The editorial unit
Read More

A stress-free lifestyle for beautiful hair

The editorial unit
Read More

Biking in the snow 101: The three essential components for carefree biking in winter

The editorial unit
Read More

Tacenda

★★★★★
Georgie Cowan-Turner
Read More

Elizabethan Treasures at the National Portrait Gallery

★★★★★
Anna Souter
Read More

Soft Animals at Soho Theatre

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Tickets

Theatre tickets

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Jeremy Loops and James Hersey at the Roundhouse
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Aftermath premiere: On the red carpet with Keira Knightly, Alexander Skarsgård, director James Kent and cast
    Cinema
  • Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • STEVE O SMITH autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Richard Quinn autumn/winter 2019 collection catwalk show for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Win tickets to see Rip It Up in the West End
    Uncategorised
  • Tartuffe at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Tacenda
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Elizabethan Treasures at the National Portrait Gallery
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Soft Animals at Soho Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Tacenda
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Elizabethan Treasures at the National Portrait Gallery
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Soft Animals at Soho Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Aftermath premiere: On the red carpet with Keira Knightly, Alexander Skarsgård, director James Kent and cast
    Cinema
  • Cyprus Avenue at the Royal Court Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre

Instagram

Something is wrong.
Instagram token error.
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Fund us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2018 FL Media Ltd