We were delighted to hear the news this morning that British shoe designer and firm Shoewawa favourite Nicholas Kirkwood had been awarded Vogue's prestigious Fashion Fund: a £200,000 grant backed by a host of fashion industry players won last year by Christopher Kane. Kirkwood, 32, was said to have been genuinely surprised at the award, which Vogue itself referred to as the 'best kept secret in the business'. 

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UK Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, pictured above left, emphasized that it was the originality of Kirkwood's designs that won him the award, pointing out that he has 'never been derivative' in his designs. It's certainly true that there is nothing quite like his angular platform heels, loved by a host of celebs including the undisputed reigning queen of shoes herself, Sarah Jessica Parker.

The award was presented to Kirkwood by retail mogul Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter, who spoke of the difficulty faced by many young fashion designers at the start of their careers, particularly during tough economic times. "It starts with a dream" she said, "this award is to help propel those businesses to the next level."

Ever since the launch of his first hand-made collection back in 2005 we've loved this man's style, and Kirkwood shoe always stands out, and the designs seem to get more innovative and inspiring with every season.  This award will ensure he holds his place at the top of British fashion, and we look forward to many more outstanding designs. The award also looks like a particularly awesome print he can now hang on his wall...