How New York and Paris defer to London fashion.
Posted by v on February 3, 2008
London Fashion Week - It even has a very quiet tone to it never mind that London has consistently produced soe of the world’s very best gesigners.
Every country seems to have its own fashion week. There’s Brazil, New Delhi, Mumbai, New Zealand, Accra Ghana,Lagos Nigeria , I could go on. Some countries even have two, like India and Brazil. (Never mind the US)
Pakistan was slated to have one(first ever in a Muslim country) until Benazir Bhutto was slain and was cancelled.
How important are all these fashion weeks to the world?? Obviously imortant to the country within which they are beign hosted but of what value is it to the rest of the world. Incredible talent is evident in a lot of work shown by these designers from foreign countries. It is amazing what they do, with a limited budget.
Many of these weeks are largely domestic exercises, tourist draws or excuses for portly businessmen to ogle gorgeous girls in swimsuits. The serious action only really happens in New York, Milan, Paris and London - the events that pull the heavy hitters in buying power, column inches, influence and style icon status.
London stands apart. It is a small but perfectly formed microcosm of outrageous and anarchic creativity; a launching pad, breeding ground and laboratory rolled into one, in which new talent is identified and nurtured, supported with funds and encouraged with words.
They have no Armani, Donatella, DKNY , Sean John, J.Lo and all the mega name designers synonymous with fashion in the rest of the world. Somehow the big name models come from London though - Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell et al.
The wealthiest designer is Paul Smith who is worth a mere $500m unlike Ralph Lauren who pulls $2b a year. Yes, $2b.
Yet London has produced some of the world’s most famous designers - John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Hussein Chalayan, Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson and Burberry Prorsum’s Christopher Bailey to mention a few - and hundreds of graduates of the British fashion education system who work in the design studios of the big American, French and Italian brands.
I look forward to what London Fashion Week brings. New York, Milan, Italy look to London and should give credit.
