He worked first with the tailor shop Anderson and Shephard, and then moved to nearby Gieves and Hawkes. Deciding to further his clothes-making career, McQueen moved on from Savile Row and began working with theatrical costume designers Angels and Bermans. The dramatic style of the clothing he made there would become a signature of his later independent design work. McQueen then left London for a short stint in Milan, where he worked as a design assistant to Italian fashion designer Romeo Gigli.
The collection he produced as the culminating project of his degree was inspired by Jack the Ripper , and was famously bought in its entirety by the well-known London stylist and eccentric Isabella Blow. She became a long-time friend of McQueen's, as well as an advocate for his work.
Soon after obtaining his degree, McQueen started his own business designing clothes for women. He met enormous success with the introduction of his "bumster" pants, so named because of their extremely low-cut waistline. Although it was a prestigious job, McQueen took it reluctantly, and his tenure there was a tumultuous time in the designer's life.
Even as he was pushing the limits of what people expected from fashion one of his shows featured a model who was an amputee walking the runway on carved wooden legs , McQueen felt he was being held back. The designer would later say that the job "constrain[ed] his creativity," though he also made the following admission: "I treated Givenchy badly. It was just money to me. But there was nothing I could do: the only way it would have worked would have been if they had allowed me to change the whole concept of the house, to give it a new identity, and they never wanted me to do that.
In , Gucci bought a 51 percent stake in Alexander McQueen's private company, and provided the capital for McQueen to expand his business. McQueen left Givenchy shortly thereafter. With the help of Gucci's investment, McQueen became more successful than ever. The school has chewed up and spit out many talented charges, but McQueen was its star rebel by any measure.
The flair for performance began early. When first beginning to show, he gained attention for refusing to face the camera when giving interviews or taking bows. The young designer found a kindred spirit in Isabella Blow, a flamboyant hat-wearing influential fashion editor, who bought up his entire graduation collection. He was very cultivated and enjoyed being around cultivated people.
Corporate eagles soon spied a goose who could lay golden eggs. McQueen captured the eye of fashion conglomerates looking to revive fashion labels and in he was installed at the storied French house Givenchy.
McQueen struggled with commerciality in that fold but spent five years there. In , he was embraced by the Gucci parent group, who gave him funding for his own label.
His clothes have been worn by countless celebrities including Drew Barrymore, Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, who accompanied him to the Costume Institute gala, and Lady Gaga, who has incoporated his suitably outrageous designs into her videos.
Memorable ones are too numerous to list. In Paris, he showed at the prison where Marie Antoinette was held, with her as the theme. Live wolves prowled the runway. Then there was the show where the models lips were held away from their gums by dangerous-looking metal mouth guards, teeth bared. They stormed a stone covered runway. It remains one of the most famous fashion districts in London. With a focus on signature British fabrics and elevated basics with a quirky twist, the synonymous Westwood designs were born.
The modern Vivienne Westwood collections have a more asexual flair, focusing on the natural dynamic of fabrics. Her brand is to thank for bringing punk into the mainstream of fashion, along with ushering in a new era for the industry. Vivienne Westwood is known for its modern punk and new wave styles and designs. Must-have Westwood pieces include the pearl choker with a logo pendant, tartan bags, and checked ready-to-wear.
Stella McCartney is a British legend in her own right, counting her mother Linda as her greatest muse. The label uses a bullet hole pattern for its logo wordmark.
In , she launched her self-titled fashion brand, showing her first collection in Paris. As a committed vegetarian, her collections have never featured fur, leather, feathers, or skin.
As the company has evolved, s ustainability has remained at the heart of every collection. The fashion house has since expanded to include a perfume range, an athleisure collaboration with Adidas , and a lingerie collection.
The first iconic Stella McCartney bag, the Falabella, was unveiled in and became an instant best-seller. Stella was invited to collaborate with Adidas again on the Team GB uniforms. The brand has its own stake in royal history. Stella McCartney designed the minimalistic evening dress worn by Meghan Markle to her wedding reception. When it comes to iconic British handbags, look no further than Mulberry.
The brand started with buckled leather belts before launching into a full accessory and womenswear line in The Mulberry aesthetic has always been one that brings timeless silhouettes together with high-quality leather and a contemporary feel. The Bayswater, Lily, and Alexa bags are all icons in their own right. The brand is currently undergoing a changing brand identity that keeps the British feel but brings the fashion house into the modern era.
They also regularly hold seasonal sales on their website , if you want to grab a deal on one of their iconic styles. The former Spice Girls turned fashion designer is one woman behind some of our favorite trends. While her Birkin collection is worth lusting after, Beckham is a designer in her own right. Victoria Beckham founded her eponymous fashion label in When her eponymous fashion brand launched with ten dresses, it became an instant success.
Beckham easily translated her signature style into a brand aesthetic. The Victoria Beckham fashion house has expanded to include two ready-to-wear lines, accessories, and long-term collaboration with the activewear brand Reebok.
The brand works by taking the personal style of Beckham and making it work for the needs of the modern, international woman. You can find the brand in over stores in more than 50 countries around the world. Her dresses, cashmere knitwear, and structured handbags are standout pieces from her collection. Since the brand launched in , it has sculpted out a unique space for itself in the UK fashion scene.
Burberry is a British brand with an unparalleled heritage. Their check print is recognizable around the world and is almost as iconic as the British flag. Aside from the equestrian knight logo, Burberry is also famous for its signature check design.
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