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L O N DO N , TU ES Day 16 t h S e ptemb e r 2 0 0 8
Issue • 3
The Politics of Fashion
Column McDowell
P h o to g r a phy by W ill M a tth e ws
Wo rd s b y C o l i n McD o w e l l
Wo rd s b y N ic o la Co pping
When Downing Street invites the most influential figures of the British fashion industry to a party at their place, it must be time to celebrate. The occasion? Twentyfive years of London Fashion Week (LFW) as we know it today; 25 years of the British Fashion Council (BFC); and 25 years of hard work to create an industry
Shailes Sets Sail Wo rd s b y Geo rgia Dehn
BFC New Gen knitwear designer Simone Shailes has been snapped up by Phoebe Philo to join her brand new team at Celine. Shailes accepted the assistant design position on Friday, a week after the announcement that Philo would take the reins as creative director. “I’m very excited,” said Shailes yesterday. “Phoebe Philo has been a major figure in fashion and I’ve always looked up to her.” Shailes won the L’Oreal Professionnel Fashion Design Award for her MA
worth more than £40 billion and a bi-annual event worth £100 million to the London economy. Not a bad reason to pop a champagne cork or two with Sarah Brown. But the event carries greater significance: this is the first time in decades that Number 10 has invited fashion’s finest onto its doorstep. This is the biggest political acknowledgement of London fashion in years.
collection earlier this year. “I’ve learnt a lot putting together my first collection since graduating,” says Shailes. “But I will be putting designing under my own name on hold now. I’m sure I’ll learn even more being part of [Philo’s] team and her comeback.” The Celine design team will be temporarily based at LVMH while searching for a permanent studio space somewhere in London. See Simone Shailes’s collection at the BFC’s New Gen sponsored by Topshop space at the exhibition. Georgia Dehn is the junior style editor at the Telegraph Magazine
At 7.15 yesterday evening the BFC got down to the serious business. They met with ministers and civil servants including Andy Burnham (culture, media and sport), John Hutton (business enterprise) and the senior policy officer of the London Development Agency to discuss the future of LFW, and the industry as a whole. “We met to discuss the concept of promoting the industry: talent,
Jasper’s Carrot Word s b y L a uren Coc hr a ne
Jasper Conran based his show on Leaves From a Missionary Notebook, a 1929 book that he always digs out when he’s “feeling blue”. Illustrating the story with a charming series of drawings in the show notes, the designer looked at “the combination of ultra-prim and proper and really very saucy”. Cue pretty tea dresses, puff sleeves and done-up jackets, along with some sheer pieces and tassled, cut-out gowns to show off
training and careers. We want to think about the future, look at where we are, what we have achieved, but largely we want to leave a legacy for the next 25 years,” said Hilary Riva, chief executive of the BFC. Harold Tillman announced plans to deliver the first industry report to clarify the true economic value of the industry as a whole. “It will allow us to put a stake in the ground to develop a wider
series of initiatives, including a major recruitment and education campaign.” By creating a fully comprehensive report on the full scale of the industry – incorporating manufacturers, designers, retailers and publishers – the BFC hope to illustrate its scale. “As a whole, the industry does not get projected, nor does it Report continues on page 2
all your feminine guiles. The audience – including Emilia Fox, Jasmine Guinness, Alice Dellal, Mary Quant and Jade Parfitt – watched through life-size cut-out trees as the show’s surprise came around halfway through the 44 looks: Alek Wek making a rare (but very welcome) appearance on the London catwalk in a red tassled gown. Wek and Conran, speaking after the show, are clearly each other’s biggest fans. Wek can’t wait to wear “that hot red dress” from the show while Conran simply says, “I love Alek and Alek loves me.” Indeed.
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It’s all about colour. My colour and London Fashion Week colour. But first, mine. I guess many of you reading this know that I am the founder and creative director of Fashion Fringe. In case you don’t, our sponsor, DHL, has kindly provided me with a gleaming new and very yellow chariot, or, rather, taxi, to let everyone know about the connection. You can’t miss it. It isn’t to everybody’s taste, perhaps, but I feel that if it gets up a few nostrils I will be very contented. Especially when it starts raining, the umbrella will drive everyone bananas. Colourful pretty maids all in a row at Luella had enough sweetpea shades to make the Queen Mother smile. Marios Schwab was all about the colours of English ponds and lakes, but with Seventies shapes à la Halston and Julien Macdonald. Jasper Conran gave us aftertoon tea – the colours of Earl Grey and Darjeeling, and roses and hollyhocks, respectively. Everything you could need to feel true Brit next spring.