GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2015

If I promise you one thing it is that by the time we get to Paris Fashion Week I will be bang up to date with EVERYTHING! Right now, not so much, hence why it’s been a whole week since the GQ Men Of The Year Awards and I’m only managing to post about it now. What can I say, NYFW has been full on in every single way but I missing Milan thanks to a very exciting project that I’ll hopefully be able to tell you more about soon so please bare with me for the moment, excuse fest 2015 is coming to an end I promise. Anyway, regardless of this posts untimely nature, I couldn’t not share a few snippets from the GQ MOTY Awards, they were just so much fun and my Hugo Boss dress was simply beautiful…

Your’s truly head to pointed toe in Hugo Boss

Hugo Boss is a brand I hugely respect and admire – you may have read my reviews of their shows – so it was very exciting indeed to be invited to attend the awards as their guest dressed head to toe in their AW15 collection. Unleashed in their Regent Street emporium I was very much the proverbial kid in a candy store, literally trying on everything that remotely caught my attention… Which was a lot, as I’m sure you can imagine. In the end there was really only one option; this exquisitely cut, flawlessly elegant number in a delectable berry shade that made me feel all the feelings about autumn. There is nothing like a truly gorgeous frock to make you feel like you might look half decent. After a manic beyond belief few days juggling travel and fashion week preparations (i.e lacking sleep, skipping the gym, not even considering 3 step cleansing) I certainly needed one of those.

Me & Henry Holland

I arrived at the Royal Opera House in the early evening where hoards of paparazzi and fans were waiting to catch a glimpse of their idols. Not having the patience to wait in traffic while my car reached the correct entrance I managed to slightly cock up my own, wangling my way in the side and in the process colliding with someone infinitely more famous and interesting than I on the read carpet. Not the best start for sure but nothing was going to dampen my spirits that evening!

I’ve been lucky enough to attend many amazing awards ceremonies, from the British Fashion Awards to the Glamour Women of the Year. I have not, however, ever been to the GQ MOTY Awards and always heard that they are pretty damn excellent. I mean, if the London Collections Men parties are anything to go by, it’s not surprising really. Well mes amies, whoever told me that was not lying. From the moment I arrived to be greeted by a warm handshake from GQ Editor, Dylan Jones to the moment, many hours later, we left the after party having danced our feet raw surrounded by the likes of James Cordon and Chris O’Dowd, it was a LOT of fun. As for the attendees, winners and presenters? We’re talking A+++ list. Think Will Ferrel, Caroline Issa, Emilia Clarke, Erin O’Connor, Lionel Richie, Keith Richards, Paul Rudd, Naomie Harris, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Bailey and Blur with Samuel L.Jackson presenting… Basically a selection of the finest from the world’s of Hollywood, fashion, art, music and publishing. Oh an George Osborne who made a surprisingly hilarious speech when he picked up his (also perhaps surprising) award for Politician of the Year.

Caroline Issa

Foxes

Erin O’Connor

I’m not going to give you a blow by blow of the whole ceremony, you can view the full list of winners online here. I will say that Samuel L.Jackson was utterly fantastic. Hardly a shocker I know  but seriously, he had us all on an emotional rollercoaster spanning from genuine tears at his heartfelt and moving speech about his charity, One For The Boys, to rib cracking lols to unbridled, friendship related joy when he welcomed his old pal Lionel on stage. Evidently a long lasting bromance between two international icons can never fail to raise a smile, or in this case a standing ovation. In between courses I managed to sidle my way into a picture with the two when I spotted them hanging out near our table. If that’s not a #lifegoal achieved then frankly, I just can’t imagine what could be! Other special mentions must go to Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, who both gave some of the funniest speeches of the evening and Emilia Clarke for using her moment on stage to promote gender equality in an intelligent, articulate and inspiring way while looking like a total babe in Oscar de la Renta.

Dermot O’Leary and Dee Koppang

Huge thanks to Hugo Boss and GQ Magazine for an excellent evening! Followed by a less than excellent packing for NYFW experience the next morning but for that, I have only myself and perhaps the after party DJ to blame.

Love Ella. X