Tania Fares: First Lebanese to Receive the Special Recognition Award at the 2025 Fashion Awards

Dec 6, 2025

At the 2025 edition of the Fashion Awards, held on Monday evening at the Royal Albert Hall, the British Fashion Council (BFC) presented the Special Recognition Award to Tania Fares, making her the first Lebanese recipient of this historic honor.

The award highlights 15 years of the BFC Fashion Trust, the council’s leading grant-giving and mentorship initiative, and celebrates the philanthropists and cultural advocates who have supported emerging designers. Over the years, the initiative has raised £6.8 million to nurture young creative talent.

As Co-Chair of the BFC Foundation’s fundraising committee, Tania Fares has played a pivotal role in shaping the intersection of philanthropy and fashion by launching and expanding a successful patron program that empowers designers around the world.

In her acceptance speech, Fares expressed how deeply moved she was by the recognition, emphasizing that it represents not only a personal milestone but also a tribute to every creator she has had the privilege to support. She said:

"Standing here tonight is incredibly moving, not just for me personally, but for what it represents. To be the first Lebanese recipient of this Special Recognition from the British Fashion Council is a huge honor."

She recalled the early days of founding Fashion Trust, explaining that the initiative was born from a simple yet powerful belief: that "talent, wherever it comes from, deserves to be nurtured and celebrated." What began as an idea has grown into a community that has uplifted more than 83 designers and built a global platform for creativity and opportunity.

Fares added that being Lebanese shaped her values, her love for beauty, creativity, and culture, but that London was the place where her vision took form and received the support needed to make a real impact.

She emphasized that the recognition belongs equally to the designers she champions, the patrons who believe in them, and the team that turns ambition into action.

Reflecting on 15 years of influence, she concluded:

"Supporting talent and helping build a more inclusive, global fashion community has been one of the greatest privileges of my life."

Bader Al-Kulaib

Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah

Dr. Noura Almashan

Dr. Munira Al-Arouj

Nour Abdul

Eisa Alhabib

Deema Al-Ghunaim

Lama AlOraiman

Alymamah Rashed

Nadia Bader Al-Hajji

Henadi Al-Saleh

Jafar Islah

Abdullah Ghazi Al-Mudhaf

Abeer Al Awadhi

Shahad Alsabeeh

Abdulrahman Bedah Al-Mutairi

Faisal Alagel

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi

Shaikha Al Majed

Farah Almutawa

Donna Sultan

Dana Al-Mutawa and Sheikha Sharifa Al Sabah and Alzainah Albabtain

Laila Almutairi

Adel Alwasis

Hashim and Amna Naseeb

Dr. Abdullah Al Sumait

Shaikha Al-Hajeri

Shaima Hassan

Sheikha Bibi Al-Yousef Al-Sabah

Free Jabriya

Lulowa Al-Mulla

Salman Al-Kandari

Al-Jawhara-Al-Mahdi

Abdullatif Al Mishari

Hussain Bumejdad

Soaad Al-Faqaan

Maryam Alrefaei

Abdulmohsen AlMarzouq‏

Dr. Faisal Al-Roomi

Noor Al-Nafisi

Shaymaa Al-Terkait

Khalid Muthafar

Dalal AlHajeri

Yousef Alomran

Fahad Al Ghanim

Abdullah Behbehani

Sara Al-kattan

Dr. Manal Aldaihani

Ali Khajah

Raheel Al Roudhan

Bader Al-Kulaib

Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah

Dr. Noura Almashan

Dr. Munira Al-Arouj

Nour Abdul

Eisa Alhabib

Deema Al-Ghunaim

Lama AlOraiman

Alymamah Rashed

Nadia Bader Al-Hajji

Henadi Al-Saleh

Jafar Islah

Abdullah Ghazi Al-Mudhaf

Abeer Al Awadhi

Shahad Alsabeeh

Abdulrahman Bedah Al-Mutairi

Faisal Alagel

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi

Shaikha Al Majed

Farah Almutawa

Donna Sultan

Dana Al-Mutawa and Sheikha Sharifa Al Sabah and Alzainah Albabtain

Laila Almutairi

Adel Alwasis

Hashim and Amna Naseeb

Dr. Abdullah Al Sumait

Shaikha Al-Hajeri

Shaima Hassan

Sheikha Bibi Al-Yousef Al-Sabah

Free Jabriya

Lulowa Al-Mulla

Salman Al-Kandari

Al-Jawhara-Al-Mahdi

Abdullatif Al Mishari

Hussain Bumejdad

Soaad Al-Faqaan

Maryam Alrefaei

Abdulmohsen AlMarzouq‏

Dr. Faisal Al-Roomi

Noor Al-Nafisi

Shaymaa Al-Terkait

Khalid Muthafar

Dalal AlHajeri

Yousef Alomran

Fahad Al Ghanim

Abdullah Behbehani

Sara Al-kattan

Dr. Manal Aldaihani

Ali Khajah

Raheel Al Roudhan