Baby’s First Fashion Awards: Alex Consani Hits A Home Run In Dilara Findikoglu’s Union Jack Corsetry

“Girl, it always starts with an Instagram message,” says Alex Consani, hours before the British Fashion Council’s Model of the Year took to the Fashion Awards red carpet in custom Dilara Findikoglu. Thank god for that DM. In a sea of predictable looks, it was Consani who stood out for doing her homework, taking a risk and bringing a sense of humour to a night that supposedly celebrates unbridled creativity. “I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, so I just messaged her and I’m so blessed that she was able to make it work,” shares Alex of the custom white corseted dress, complete with Union Jack draping that throws back to Ginger Spice’s Brits mini, Kate Moss’s John Galliano jacket, and myriad other playful, patriotic style nods throughout history. For Consani, it’s simply “an iconic moment”.

Read more: Every Major Red-Carpet Look At The Fashion Awards 2024

Photography Rowan Southern.

Photography Rowan Southern.

It had to be A Look. The “gorgeous and stunning and fun and playful” piece puts the perfect full stop on a fast and furious year for Consani, who in 2024 became the first trans woman to front Teen Vogue and to walk the Victoria’s Secret show (with Valentina Sampaio), among plenty of other landmark industry achievements. “As a kid, I always hyped that up in my head and being able to do that in such a wholesome, safe environment was really a highlight,” she says of slipping on her wings alongside VS Angels Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel. “I think it’s a really big moment to celebrate every nominee, I’m really blessed and proud of everybody.”

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Consani admits her MO for her first Fashion Awards was to just feel gorgeous. Really gorgeous. “This is an event where you want to make sure that you’re wearing the clothes and the clothes aren’t wearing you,” notes the 21-year-old California native, who swears by journalling to get in the zone. “It’s more about the feeling, because if you feel good, you’ll inevitably look good. I think the more you focus on just face masks and beauty routines, it becomes high stress and high stakes. I really just like to relax and pretend that I’m not doing anything important. Yesterday, I got sushi…”

Photography Rowan Southern.

Photography Rowan Southern.

Still @captincroook – the TikTok profile that shot Consani to fame during a bout of quarantine-induced boredom – surely had some quippy content in mind for her Royal Albert Hall debut. “You’ll see, girl, you’ll see…” she teases. “I know everybody went a little bit more chic, and I’m not saying this isn’t chic, but you’ll see…” I tell her I can’t wait. “Babe, I can’t wait to see what you’re wearing!” fires back the It-model, who, despite her stratospheric journey thus far, is sweet to the core. “I heard this party is the best party…”

In the end, Consani used her acceptance speech to thank those who walked so she could run in her Gianvito Rossi heels – “specifically, the Black trans women who have fought for the space I’m in today: Connie Fleming, Dominique Jackson, Aaron Rose Philip, and countless others who allowed me to flourish.” While we hope the afters lived up to expectations, she told us she’s already got one eye on tomorrow: “I want to do my best and feel my best and hopefully see more trans women like me, or similar to me in terms of identity, working in the same spaces that I am. You’ve always got to think ahead.”

Photography Rowan Southern.

Photography Rowan Southern.

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