Posts Tagged ‘British designers’

Designers

Alexander McQueen got his fashion inspiration from TV show Friends

By Andrea Petrou on November 3rd, 2011

Alexander McQueen got his fashion inspiration from TV show Friends.

The tragic designer – who committed suicide in February 2010 – relied on a host of sources to get ideas for his eponymous fashion line and the now defunct comedy show was just one, according to his successor Sarah Burton.

She said: “I remember him saying to me, ‘I watched ‘Friends’ last night, did you see the shirt that Joey was wearing?’

“But then, he would get a [Jan] van Eyckbook out, so it was this kind of mad mix. There’s no snobbery to it. He had this way of making you look at everything for inspiration so you didn’t just go, ‘Ok, we’re doing Seventies.’”

Although Alexander – known as Lee to his friends – is no longer with them, Sarah revealed the company still runs as if he were alive.

She explained to website lanecrawford.com: “Lee used to always say that you have to know all the rules to be able to break them.

“We have an open studio, so a big room, and it’s very visual. On the wall, there are just hundreds of images from all different kinds of periods and fabrics. Lee taught me to do things in a three-dimensional way.”



Celebrity Style, Designers, News

Christopher Kane wants all his collections to be different.

By Andrea Petrou on June 22nd, 2011

Christopher Kane wants all his collections to be different.

The designer – who counts the likes of Alexa Chung, Leighton Meester and Freida Pinto among his celebrity fans – admits he gets “bored easily” so is always coming up with new ideas for his creations because he enjoys a challenge.

He told Stylist magazine: “Every season I design a very different collection to the last because I like to learn new techniques. I get bored easily so I feel I have to move on. The pressure of that is good because it keeps me on the straight and narrow.”

Christopher also says he appreciates criticisms because he thinks it makes him a better designer and is always willing to learn from his mistakes.

He said: “It’s good to have criticism – I had a lot at college and it didn’t hurt me, it built my confidence.

“Our business has made mistakes along the way. I’m young and not very patient. One minute I love something and the next I hate it. But I don’t regret anything.”



Designers, News

Christopher Kane loves “obnoxious” neon

By Andrea Petrou on May 25th, 2011

Christopher Kane loves “obnoxious” neon.

The 28-year-old designer featured the fluorescent colours in lace trims on his recent spring/summer women’s collection and says he always loves using a lot of colour in his creations, though it can be difficult.

He said: “There’s this idea that British people don’t like colour but I think they do. I love neon. It’s so man-made and loud and obnoxious but that’s why I gravitate towards it. It gives you a total high when you work with it.

“The dyes were a nightmare, though. It was a tough one but we got there in the end. We just had to keep dyeing and trying.”

Christopher has headed up Venus, Versace’s second line for two years and he admits he still finds it “weird” working with the fashion house’s head Donatella Versace, because he has admired her for so long.

He told the Evening Standard newspaper: “You do need to tap yourself when you’re with her.

“It was quite weird after being a kid, growing up and idolising Versace, and then ‘boom’ – you’re thrown into the dressing room backstage. But Donatella puts you at ease. She’s great that way. I’ve learned so much from working at Versace. You start to learn from them and it seeps into your own business.”



Gallery, New York Fashion Week - Runway

New York Fashion Week: Marchesa Fall 09 Gallery

By Kimberley Foster on February 19th, 2009

For lots of pretty, floaty, fabulous frocks it is imperative that you swing by the Marchesa show during New York Fashion Week. Sticking two fingers to the economy was co-designer Georgina Chapman, who didn’t disappoint in offering up an array of delicate whimsical creations for eveningwear. Fairytale-inspired red carpet gowns were aplenty in layered tulle and draped Grecian-style jersey. These filtered out into ruffled candy cocktail dresses and sparkly black and red minidresses, all tied up in a satin bow. As always it is a true pleasure to watch the fruits of Marchesa’s labor, and take a moment to escape the realities of life. And with Sir Philip Green lurking around the room, one can’t but help wonder whether we might see a Marchesa/Topshop collaboration in the future.

[Photos courtesy of Coutorture]

Click image below to begin gallery.



New York Fashion Week - Gossip

New York Fashion Week: Preen

By Catwalk Queen on February 4th, 2008

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Our British sister blog Catwalk Queen gives us their take on the Preen A/W 2008-09 show…

Making their second New York Fashion Week outing, Preen represented the Brits at their autumn/winter show yesterday. Storming out onto the runway first was model Lily Donaldson in a grungey plaid cocoon jacket that I have instantly fallen in love with. Designers Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi took inspiration from Kurt Cobain and Kim Basinger in the film 9 1/2 Weeks to create oversized coats and jumpsuits.

Read the rest of this entry »



Fashion News, Models, New Fashions

Make room in the tents for Jonathan Saunders who moves his fashion show to New York

By Andrea Thatcher on November 28th, 2007

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Last month sister site Catwalk Queen wondered if one of their favorite designers was on the move.

He is. So New York Fashion Week will have to make room for another U.K. designer because Jonathan Saunders is joining the British brigade of designers who make the biannual trip to the city to show their new collections. I guess it’s not much more trouble to cross the Atlantic if you have to pack up your showroom anyway, but it’s got to be a lot more expensive! I suppose they hope the U.S. exposure will be worth it.

Known for his colourful geometric prints and for dressing Thandie Newton on quite a regular basis, he’s set to bring some colour to the runways of New York.

[Image Getty; Source: WWD]




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