LONDON, United Kingdom — The Fashion Awards ceremony at London's Royal Albert Hall on Monday night may have been chock-full of A-listers and fashion icons, but still there were certain moments that stood out for their poignancy. From Bruce Weber's speech referencing Bruce Springsteen to Jaden Smith's recognition of the fashion industry's progressive stance on diversity (at least compared to Hollywood), BoF remembers the five most memorable moments from the Fashion Awards.

Franca Sozzani: "For me, London represents ... freedom."

Early in the evening, the Vogue Italia editor-in-chief accepted the Swarovski Award for Positive Change. Sozzani was commended for "her commitment to diversity and for utilising her position and influence to positively impact the wider world," including her work for the UN World Food Program as a global ambassador against hunger, as well as her support for Convivio's AIDS research and the European Institute of Oncology.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNrap0fFLUr

Designer and critically-lauded director Tom Ford, a longtime collaborator, presented Sozzani with the award. "For me London represents something that is beyond the city... freedom," she said. "Big change starts here."

Ralph Lauren: "My whole life is in this room."

Lauren, the first American designer to open a retail store on London's Bond Street, accepted the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Award. "I feel like I'm still 22. My whole life is in this room," he said, referring to his family, as well as longtime collaborators including Bruce Weber and American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

"I've loved what I've done and I've enjoyed my life. It's the beginning of new things happening. Thrilled to be here. I love you all."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNqLdQaDong

Jaden Smith: "I wish other industries would adopt the same behaviour."

Smith, who accepted the New Fashion Icon Award on behalf of himself and his sister Willow, spoke about the inclusionary side of the industry, where diversity is celebrated.

“It's an honour to be here. I've never been accepted in a world like this. I want to thank the fashion industry for giving this award to two young African-Americans. I just really appreciate this and wish that other industries would adopt the same behaviour."

Jeehae Kim of MCM, Jaden Smith, Kim Sung-Joo of MCM and Jonathan Newhouse | Source: Courtesy

Gigi Hadid: "You guys are the ones that I'm here for."

International Model of the Year Gigi Hadid — whose influence increases by the day — took the stage with a standing ovation from her mother, Yolanda Hadid. The social media superstar, who currently counts more than 30 million followers on Instagram, spoke of how the fashion community has become her second family.

"I know that I'm in the generations of social media," she remarked. "You guys are the ones that I'm here for ... You know who I am. Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you so much."

Bruce Weber: "I once saw another person on this stage — Bruce Springsteen”

Bruce Weber was honoured with the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator, presented to him by fellow photographer David Bailey and actor James Jagger. In one of the more resonant speeches of the evening, Weber fashioned his words after “I’m on Fire,” a song by Bruce Springsteen, whom he saw perform right there years earlier.

"I once saw another person on this stage — Bruce Springsteen… Singing his heart out. That's the way I like to think about this crazy mixture of fashion and photography," he told the crowd.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNpv-v7APZF

"I knew I'd be standing up there so I thought of a time when I saw Bruce play here. I like the connection,” Weber told BoF following his acceptance speech.

“I think [the global awards] are really great for the fashion world. As I said to somebody today, everybody thinks it's easy to do with these people do. It's so hard."

Related Articles:

The Fashion Awards Goes Global