Sir David Adjaye, the principal architect and founder of Adjaye Associates, was selected by Swarovski and the British Fashion Council (BFE) to design this year’s crystallized trophy for the Fashion Awards 2018 in partnership with Swarovski.

The trophy is a symbolic takeaway of the evening, representing the unique and dynamic talents of those who receive it. Each year, a new designer is invited to put their own bespoke spin on it with past designers listed as Marc Newson CBE in 2016, followed by John Pawson in 2017.

Like those chosen before him, Adjaye is celebrated as a leading architect of his generation. Born in Tanzania to Ghanaian parents, his design influences range from African art forms and the civic life of cities to contemporary art, music and science. His ingenious use of materials and sculptural ability established him early on as an architect with an artist’s sensibility and vision.

Adjaye approached the Fashion Awards 2018 trophy as a study of form and material with a focus on geometry resulting in a six-sided column design with tapered triangular facets. Each of the trophy’s concave surfaces were crafted in Swarovski’s Wattens, Austria headquarters via innovative Wave Cut technology for a mystifying prismatic effect.

“Swarovski crystal was integral to the design as I was captivated by the optical effects that you can achieve through geometry creating refraction, distortion and reflection with the material,” noted Adjaye.

The trophy will be presented to each of the Fashion Awards 2018 winners on December 10 at Royal Albert Hall.