'British design strikes a chord with Swarovski' – Nadja

Nadja is a Member of the Swarovski Executive Board and Chair of the Swarovski Foundation’s board of Directors. Nadja is a global patron of design for the company and is committed to continually positioning Swarovski at the forefront of design and consumer trends. She received the Outstanding Achievement Award at this year’s NatWest UKFT Awards from UKFT’s President, HRH The Princess Royal.

Nadja highlighted her appreciation for British fashion by saying, “It is important to be in London. The UK is refreshing in terms of creativity, royal history, trade, influx of new generations and design schools.” She went on to reveal how British design strikes a chord with Swarovski by being historically important with a great mix of different cultures, an open mind and experimentation.

She added that London continued to be the “centre of the world” when it came to fashion and that education for those wanting to pursue a career in the industry was unbeatable.

Hilary is an internationally acclaimed fashion journalist, famously known for her long standing role as Fashion Director at The Daily Telegraph. She is also a broadcaster and stylist with a passion for encouraging and supporting British designers.

Hilary and Nadja explored the history and inspiration behind the Swarovski brand and many of its collaborations in fashion, film, art and architecture. Nadja revealed how important it is to use the vision of the designer to stimulate the designs and encourage creative expression.

Swarovski has collaborated with some of the biggest names in fashion from Alexander McQueen, Julien Macdonald and Philip Treacy. These collaborations even dated back to as early as the rein of Queen Victoria, who had her gowns and veils embellished with crystals.

UKFT CEO John Miln said, “It was fantastic to hear about both the legacy and future ambitions of Swarovski from Nadja, who has helped drive the brand to great achievements in recent years. Hilary is an incredible journalist and drove the conversation in an engaging manner. I am sure I can speak on behalf of everyone in the room when I left feeling truly inspired by Nadja and Swarovski’s achievements.”

UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT)