Londoner’s Diary
The Royal Albert Hall was filled with dozens of disco balls for the most stylish night of the year: the Fashion Awards. It’s an evening when politicians — not famed for their sartorial acuity — get to hobnob with the best dressed people in the land. Business Secretary Peter Kyle was flanked by Dame Anna Wintour and British Fashion Council chief executive Laura Weir, who hosted the evening, while French fashion designer Michèle Lamy traded up her usual partner in crime, Rick Owens, for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. The Fashion Awards often has rather bad luck with the British weather and this year guests braved howling winds and lashings of rain. Not ideal conditions to be wearing an enormous, precariously balanced wig, but Gwendoline Christie managed to keep her hair on. Sienna Miller debuted her baby bump, as did Ellie Goulding, who is expecting a child with 28-year-old actor Beau Minniear. Sudanese-American star Anok Yai was crowned model of the year, Little Simz scooped the cultural innovator award and Dior’s Jonathan Anderson won designer of the year for the third year in a row. After the awards, guests decamped to the glitzy new Chancery Rosewood hotel for an afterparty hosted by Edward Enninful that roared on until the wee hours.
Soho swings again
In a bit of good news for London’s late-night venues, a new members’ club has opened in the heart of Soho — and it has a 4am licence. Christabel’s opened its doors with a party featuring a performance from punk-rock band The Molotovs and a cocktail list conjured by Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter, Kiera. Guests included Bridgerton star Genevieve Chenneour, who has been in some scrapes recently: over the summer, she tackled a man who tried to steal her phone in a cafe, while last week she was assaulted near Oxford Circus. “To be honest, it’s the first time I’ve been able to let loose,” she said on the night, praising the healing powers of “wild, ecstatic dancing”. Former Have I Got News for You presenter Angus Deayton described Christabel’s as “the best club I’ve been to all night”.
Down the road, triplets Tanaz, Golnaz and Elnaz Hakkak went to Damson Madder’s Christmas party at Below Stone Nest, while at Harrods, Cora Corré, Ella Richards and Sabrina Elba toasted designer Brunello Cucinelli’s holiday season takeover.
