Events | 2009.09.19
How London got its groove back
Burberry\'s return and lavish parties keep city in premier league of style capitals
Downing Street tonight hosted a strategically-timed celebration party for British fashion talent, illustrating how important Sarah Brown has been in the extraordinary comeback this year for London fashion week, which started yesterday. The reception for the six-day event, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, was co-hosted by the chancellor\'s wife, Maggie Darling, and spread across No 10 and 11 Downing Street.
After encouragement from Stuart Rose, Marks & Spencer\'s chairman, Brown has recently revived the tradition – which lapsed during the Blair years – of holding regular Downing Street receptions for fashion week.
Tonight\'s party was held on the first day of the catwalk schedule as a deliberate ruse to ensure high-profile attendees of the week did not skip the first days in the city, when lesser known designers are scheduled. Brown, wearing a dress by young British designer Erdem, enlisted Lord Mandelson to attend last night\'s party as a signal that her support for the fashion industry would have financial backing. Meanwhile, Downing Street guests demonstrated their support for innovative design and creativity the best way they know: 27-year-old design prodigy Christopher Kane\'s dresses were the night\'s most popular choice.
Last year, London fashion week looked to be in serious trouble when New York moved its show dates to overlap with London. Attendance fell and London fashion week seemed to risk relegation from the premier league of fashion capitals (alongside Paris, Milan and New York) to the lower-ranking level of Berlin, Sydney and Los Angeles, a loss of status which would have had serious consequences for the health of the British fashion industry.
But on Tuesday evening, Burberry will make a long-awaited return to London after many years showing in Milan, joining Matthew Williamson, Luella, Antonio Berardi, Pringle and Jonathan Saunders in an impressive roster of home grown names who have been lured back to London from foreign catwalks. A lavish party will be thrown by Burberry on Tuesday and a dinner hosted by Sir Philip Green, the retail magnate at the Ivy on Sunday, at which Kate Moss and Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue are expected to add glamour and celebrity.
Brown – who also attended the unveiling of an exhibition of photographs of Twiggy at the National Portrait Gallery on Thursday – said today she was convinced of the logic of championing the fashion industry. "When I go into schools, I find a huge interest among young people for finding ways to work in the fashion industry," she told the Guardian.
But she was careful to ensure the spotlight remains on the industry, rather than on her, linking the NPG reception to "a continuation of successful work the government has done with other creative industries, such as film and music", rather than to her interests.
She sees fashion as a great way to promote Britain abroad, because it is something Britain "is very good at." She is well known in the fashion industry as scrupulous in her aversion to taking freebies, insisting on buying or paying to hire garments which designers are eager to give her as gifts. Harold Tillman, chairman of the British Fashion Council, attributes his success in bringing British talent home – something that has been attempted many times – to a combination of boardroom know-how and a little light arm-twisting. "I\'m a businessman, and I know how to make a convincing business argument," he said.
He persuaded the suits that a London show was in their commercial interest – "people will always say London is not commercial, but what\'s commercial can be getting the right media interest" – and was not above laying it on pretty thick with designers who he felt could be persuaded to "give back" to Britain. "I talked to them about where they came from, about how much they owe to the design colleges they went to. I talked about standing up to be counted." In this week\'s Drapers Record, Williamson cites Tillman\'s persuasive powers as one of the decisive factors in his return.
Tillman and the BFC chief executive Caroline Rush have secured friends in high places on both sides of the political spectrum. Tillman credits London mayor, Boris Johnson, with a key supporter of a location upgrade from the lawn of the Natural History Museum to the riverside Somerset House.
Burberry designer Christopher Bailey admitted that showing in London rather than the powerhouse of Milan was "a challenge" from a commercial viewpoint. "You would have to be naive not to see that. But we\'re doing it because it feels right," he said. The Burberry show is a major coup for London, and is thought to have been key in securing Wintour\'s presence, due to Burberry\'s advertising power.
Hottest tickets
The fashion shows
Burberry, Matthew Williamson, Jonathan Saunders, Antonio Berardi and Pringle have all returned from showing abroad to celebrate London\'s 25th anniversary in style. Expect celebrity-heavy front rows and surprise guests rumoured to include the Beckhams. Burberry is being touted as the reason Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue, is attending London fashion week for the first time in two years, and is hosting a party after its show on Tuesday at its new HQ in south London.
Topshop dinner
Sir Philip Green will play host to a gaggle of celebrities and designers at the Ivy tomorrow night. Given that he has Kate Moss, Yasmin Le Bon, Beth Ditto, Christopher Kane and Emma Cook designing for him, we can expect a decent celebrity turnout with perhaps a spot of karaoke afterwards.
The pop-up shops
The blogosphere\'s coolest couple Garance Doré and Scott Schuman go head to head on Monday with their pop-up store curations for Gap and Liberty respectively.
Schuman will be signing copies of his book in men\'s accessories while Doré will be drinking champagne cocktails at the private view of her gap1969 denim exhibition located just down the road in Kingly Court.
LFW international party
The British Fashion Council\'s chairman, Harold Tillman, and the Evening Standard editor, Geordie Greig, welcome international buyers, editors and celebrities with a cocktail party at the May Fair hotel on Monday night. High glamour quota as Wintour is set to make her appearance.
Mulberry party
Claridge\'s hotel will be home to fashion\'s hippest gang on Sunday night with a live set from band of the moment Friendly Fires. Daisy Lowe, the Geldofs, models and It girls will be among those dancing and sipping on cocktails.
Emma Sibbles
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2[...]ondon-fashion-week-sarah-brown
