Michaela Coel-BAFTA
Michaela Coel, accepting the Best Mini-Series award for “I May Destroy You”. Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images.

Okay, let us just go on record and say that Michaela Coel’s autobiographical HBO Drama I May Destroy You is honestly one of the greatest pieces of television in the past few decades. It was sincere, honest, emotionally raw and challenged the traditional format of TV. The BBC drama (which also premiered on HBO in the United States) was inspired by Coel’s own experience of sexual assault. Not only was the show a cultural phenomenon last year but it really started a widespread conversation in terms of discussing sexual assault as it affects Black women. And though the show was largely snubbed by critics stateside, at last night’s pre-recorded British Academy of Film and Television Arts award ceremony, Coel took home the Leading Actress award for her role as Arabella, in I May Destroy You, as well as the award for best Mini-Series. In her acceptance speech, Coel thanked the series’ intimacy director, Ita O’Brien, saying: “I want to dedicate this award to the director of intimacy Ita O’Brien. Thank you for your existence in our industry, for making the space safe for creating physical, emotional, and professional boundaries so that we can make work about exploitation, loss of respect, about abuse of power, without being exploited or abused in the process.”

Coel looked stunning in a look styled by Nell Kalonji for the occasion, accepting her award dressed in a minimal black gown, with red color-blocked sleeves and dual backless cutouts made by emerging British designer Maximilian Davis. Davis is the designer for eponymous London-based label Maximilian — as seen on the likes of Rihanna and Naomi Campbell. The designer posted portraits taken by fashion photographer, Christina Ebenezer, to his Instagram of him with the BAFTA award-winning actress as she showed off the stunning black double keyhole cutout dress.

“I was nervous meeting someone that I’ve seen on TV,” the designer told Vogue of the fitting process, which was also his first-ever red carpet moment. “But she was exactly like she is on the show. She’s so down to earth and genuine. I’m so happy she felt good in my design.” He continued: “It’s the first time that she’s allowed a designer to make a custom dress. All of the dresses that she’s worn for red carpets or awards, she or her mom has made — so I’m super grateful to be given this opportunity.”

Davis originally created the dress his spring 2021 collection he showed in the collective Fashion East last September. He customized the dress for Coel. “This dress is one of the first pieces that I made in my bedroom before I applied for Fashion East,” Davis told Vogue. “[In this collection,] I was looking at a lot of shells from the Caribbean. My parents also owned a taxi company in Trinidad, and looking at the highways we used to drive along, that was the reason for the long strip on the back [of the dress.]”

If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).