Summary
- Gabriel Moses will receive the Trailblazer Award at The Fashion Awards 2026.
- He started directing for Nike at 18.
- His collaborators include major fashion houses and musicians.
- His work connects fashion with personal storytelling.
Self-taught British-Nigerian photographer and filmmaker Gabriel Moses is set to receive the Trailblazer Award at The Fashion Awards 2026, recognising work that connects fashion, music and deeply personal storytelling.
The British Fashion Council announced the honour on 10 November. The ceremony is scheduled for Monday, 30 November, at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
From Nike to magazine covers and global campaigns
Raised in South London and without formal photographic training, Moses made his directorial debut with Nike at just 18. At 22, he became the youngest photographer to shoot a Dazed cover, according to the British Fashion Council.
He went on to work with Louis Vuitton, Dior, Burberry and Moncler and create portraits of Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill and Grace Jones. His images bring fashion and music together, putting the focus on faces, gestures and atmosphere rather than simply displaying garments.
The personal vision behind the commercial work
His Nigerian heritage, South London upbringing and ties to family and community remain central to his creative work. Rich colour, deep tones and sparse surrounding detail often give his portraits a cinematic character.
In 2024 he published his first photography monograph, “Regina”, and in 2025 designed the BRIT Awards trophy. The “Selah” exhibition at London’s 180 Studios presented more than 70 photographs and 10 films in 2025, demonstrating how naturally his practice crosses still and moving images.
What the Trailblazer Award recognises
The Trailblazer Award celebrates creators whose contributions to contemporary culture are innovative and influential. Previous recipients include fashion figures Kim Jones, Sarah Burton and Alessandro Michele. Honouring a photographer highlights how visual storytelling helps define the identity of modern fashion.
Moses said he had put his heart into his practice from the beginning and thanked the collaborators who had trusted his ideas. British Fashion Council chief executive Laura Weir emphasised his distinctive visual language and the emotional resonance of his work.
What we think
What stands out in Moses’s career is how a personal point of view can survive the demands of a major commercial production. Lighting a celebrity beautifully or photographing an expensive garment is only part of the job; the photograph needs to tell a story of its own.
For photographers and filmmakers, his work also reminds us that a recognisable style is not built simply by buying equipment. It comes from consistent creative decisions — colour, composition, movement and, above all, the relationship with the subject — that remain visible whether he is working for a fashion house or making personal work.
