Why London Is Important In Fashion.

Friday, in my Textile and Apparel Management class (TAM), I was highly disturbed by my professor's lecture on the fashion cities of the world. Oh, she mentioned all of them: Paris, Milan, New York City, etc. But what really bothered me was this. She said something along these lines, "London is one of the lesser fashion cities. There is Fashion Week, but not much happens there. They are mainly known for men's fashion." And then *click* on to the next slide. And that was only slightly paraphrased. 

I was really disappointed because I was so looking forward to learning the ins and outs of London as a fashion city. Great Britain is the home for many designers and fashion icons that are recognized internationally. She teaches a fashion course... something needs to be done.

So, with an unshakeable anglophilic spirit, here I am to prove to my professor, (though I hope she doesn't see this...), and to my readers that London is an amazing city full of original and ground-breaking fashion. Fashion that should be taught in university TAM classes.

So, here is a list of British designers, fashion houses and celebrities that have truly made a name for themselves in the fashion world, with a few  examples I've chosen to expand on.

1. Burberry & Christopher Bailey

Christopher Bailey, wearing Burberry Prorsum. (photos via GQ)

Backstage at Burberry's autumn/winter 2006 show in Milan.

Bailey with Kate Moss.

Burberry's 2011 spring/summer campaign.

"If you get Christopher Bailey talking about the clothes he designs, he will inevitably throw around the phrase “disheveled elegance.” It’s what the modern Burberry man is all about, he’ll tell you. “He has a beautifully tailored jacket on, but then maybe the cuffs are undone and maybe the shirt is a little bit wrinkled,” Bailey says.  

Bailey has just described himself. He is a 35-year-old Brit who looks 25 and has the kind of rambunctious hair that only skinny English guys seem able to achieve. That he is a successful designer is hardly surprising. That he works for Burberry, purveyor of all things classically British (from the trench coat, which it is credited with inventing, to its red-black-and-tan plaid that says UK as boldly as the Union Jack), should raise an eyebrow. And that’s exactly how Burberry wants it. In 2001, when Bailey came aboard from Gucci, Burberry wasn’t cool. It is now."

-GQ, November 2006

I loved reading this article in GQ, it was so insightful and great hearing Christopher Bailey's perspective on many things-- from the music he chooses for his shows, to the Milan vs. British man, to the proper way to wear a shirt collar with a V-neck sweater. He is extremely talented and one of my British heroes. Here is one quote from the article that I particularly loved:

"Gucci under Tom always had a sexual quality, same as labels like Dolce & Gabbana and Versace. And then you’ve got that Jil Sander world, which seems much more restrained, more minimal. Where does Burberry fall in that spectrum? 

We’re…British. How to put it into words? [long pause] You can have dirty sex, but you don’t talk about it."

2. Alexander McQueen

3. Paul Smith

4. John Galliano

5. Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney in LOVE magazine.

Stella McCartney's spring 2011 campaign.

"I THINK it was films," admits Stella McCartney, asked why she became a fashion designer. "I loved all those Doris Day visuals of her being a tomboy and then changing into this gorgeous girl in a ballgown." 

In an interview with Mariella Frostrup in theObserver Food Monthly magazine, McCartneyopens up about her beginnings in the fashion industry, how she still gets a bit embarrassed about her career and how she deliberately avoided following in her famous parents' footsteps. 

"I didn't want to go into what my parents did because that would have been a story and people would have talked about it. Also, I liked fashion," she continues. "I used to get embarrassed about the fact I liked fashion. I still get a bit cringy. I'd sit at dinner parties and people would say to me, 'So what do you do?' and I'd be like, oh design! When I fill passport forms I put 'design'. I don't say fashion. But don't get me wrong, I love my job!"

-Vogue.com UK, July 2010

Paul and Stella go to the circus. I just thought this was adorable!

6. Vivienne Westwood

7. Kate Moss

8. Lily Allen

Lily looking very Audrey Hepburn/Breakfast at Tiffany's chic in Chanel's 2009 advertisement for the Chanel Coco Cocoon handbag line.

Lily and Karl Lagerfeld, who will be designing her wedding dress.

Lily Allen has been in the UK public eye since she first broke onto the music scene in 2007. She was a regular in the tabloids for her partying, uncensored comments & interesting fashion choices. However, after a few years she dramatically matured and made fantastic fashion choices, becoming a regular fashion show attendee. She has graced the cover of multiple magazines throughout the years, and in 2009 Karl Lagerfeld called her up, asking if she would like to be featured in his next Chanel handbag campaign... 

"When Karl Lagerfeld called about the campaign, I didn't tell anyone because I was convinced they made some huge mistake and that it wouldn't happen. I'm not a model so a Chanel shoot is an intimidating process because I'm very aware that I don't look like Lara Stone or Kate Moss. I sat there feeling like a suet dumpling!"

Well, I believe the photos came out beautifully, as you can see above. Lily also designed a capsule for New Look, called 'Lily Loves' in 2007. More recently, Lily Allen has opened a vintage boutique called Lucy In Disguise with her sister Sarah Owen in London. Many clothing pieces are directly from Lily's closet and some are available for rental. Yes, I do want to visit it.

9. Sienna Miller

10.Victoria Beckham
11. Alexa Chung


And there you have it! The Brits have very much earned their place in fashion, and will continue to do so, don't you think? London is so much more important in fashion than my professor gives credit. Do you have a favorite British designer/fashionista?


Cheers!
 Raquel x