Fashion : The Wind is Turning in UK

Felicity Brown

It was a genuine surprise. All the journalists agree to say that, this year, the London Fashion Week was strangely wise. What happened ? Did London loose his mojo ? The capital used to be a man-size laboratory of all the eccentricity, and suddenly, Vivienne Westwood is doing office suits. As we are not in an episode of Doctor Who, I think we still are in the same dimension. The reason of this change is much more down to earth. Money. Boo, that dirty word ! But, it's true ! Britain is tired to be seen as the wild kid of the Fashion industry, and want to secure its gold mine. The British Fashion Council recently announced that fashion was worth £21 billion to UK Economy, so, they decided that it was a very serious business, and that the joke must stop, and the profit must start.



Viking Wong

 It is in this perspective that was launched this September the website "Young British Designers". The goal of the site is to make designers' clothes more accessible to the public, but also to help young artists to survive.
Their editorial shows incidentally some sordid realism, calling for our pity for these poor students who don't eat to buy their fabrics ... Ah, to be or not to be a British designer ( pardon me, maybe am I a bit too obsessed by John Simm playing Hamlet ) ... The rest is even patriotic, a sort of 'I want you for British Fashion' manifesto, all punchy and witty. The presentation video shows many British clichés, but it is still the Britain we like, punk and elegant. Plus, I love that they choosed the song New Rose of the Damned.

J.W. Anderson

The very positive point is inside the package : it is the first attempt to sell British products only. A way to explore ?

But let's stick to the content of the site. Young British Designers, as its name announces it, offer to buy the creations of the nouvelle vague, young ( read beggining ) talents that were spotted at the London Fashion Week. So, if you want to buy something from the next Alexander McQueen, it is your chance. The prices are, well, the prices, but if you really want to invest, there are some great pieces. I am especially in love with the rings of J.W. Anderson, simple, cunning, elegant. A must have for a rock-chic outfit.

Irwin & Jordan

Kudos to Viking Wong too, not only because his name rocks, but also because his clothes are classy.
The clothes are from the Autumn Winter collections, so, if you want to flesh out your wardrobe before the cold and impress your pals, rush at Young British Designers. After all, it is a question of Life and Death, of duty ... Isn't it ???

http://www.youngbritishdesigners.com/
http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/
http://www.britishfashioncouncil.com/