Awar Odhiang named Model of the Year at Fashion Awards 2026

Awar Odhiang will receive the Model of the Year award at The Fashion Awards 2026, the British Fashion Council (BFC) announced on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. The Ethiopian-Canadian model, who was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia and grew up in Canada, will be honoured at the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Monday, 30 November 2026. The BFC said the award recognises a model whose global impact has shaped the industry over the past year, and it singled out her closing walk at Matthieu Blazy's first show for Chanel as the defining moment of her year.

Model of the Year is one of the most watched honours at The Fashion Awards, the British Fashion Council's annual event in London. Unlike awards decided by public vote, this one is chosen by a jury of people who cast, photograph and style the shows and campaigns. A pick by casting directors and stylists is a signal of who the industry itself wants to work with, not only who is popular online.

Odhiang's path is the part of the story that many readers will notice first. She began life in a refugee camp in Ethiopia and grew up in Canada, far from the fashion capitals. Within a single year she went from her first Vogue cover, in February, to closing one of the most closely followed shows of the season, the first Chanel collection by Matthieu Blazy.

Her rise also matters for representation. Trade reports note that she has used her platform to argue for greater inclusion of Black models, in an industry that has long been criticised for narrow casting. For young women watching from India and elsewhere, her year is a reminder that the top of the industry is open to people who start far from its centres.

The award comes as the BFC builds towards a ceremony with a strong field of designers. Its shortlist for Designer of the Year, announced on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, names Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen of The Row, Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent, Haider Ackermann of Tom Ford, Matthieu Blazy of Chanel, Michael Rider of Celine and Sarah Burton of Givenchy. That puts the designer whose show Odhiang closed in the running for the top prize on the same night. The BFC has already said Yohji Yamamoto will receive the Outstanding Achievement honour.

Peepals calculation: Odhiang's award was announced 26 days before the ceremony (4 November to 30 November), while the Designer of the Year shortlist came out 75 days before it (16 September to 30 November: 14 + 31 + 30 days). Of the six Designer of the Year nominations, two, The Row's Olsen sisters and Sarah Burton, include women designers, or one in three (2 / 6 ≈ 33%). Odhiang's six named campaign brands and eight covers add up to at least 14 major bookings in one year (6 + 8). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Odhiang will be one of the focal points of the London ceremony on 30 November.

Long-term: A jury of casting directors, photographers and stylists has put a model from a refugee background at the top of its list for the year, a choice that brands and agencies watch when they plan future casting.

Who is affected: Models and aspiring models, especially young women from migrant and refugee families; casting directors and brands; and fashion students who follow the British awards as a guide to where the industry is heading.

What to watch next: The Fashion Awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday, 30 November 2026, where the Designer of the Year and the other prizes will be announced.

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