Giles Deacon:
Who? Born in Darlington (not too far away from York), Giles started his self-named fashion label in 2003. In 2006 he won British Fashion Designer of the year.
Where can we see him? Like so many of our home-growns, Deacon has bandied his label about on the high street as well; in July 2008 his collection ‘Gold’ was launched in ‘New Look’.
Most famous for? Drawing a picture of a budgerigar in a Rolls Royce: weirdly this is how his career started, it was this very quirky picture which caught the people at Bottega Veneta’s attention and paved his way into the fashion industry.
Associates with? Briefly dated Sophie Dahl, buddies with Agnes Dean who also models for him, and Drew Barrymore has also been involved in some of his advertising campaigns.
What’s the style? Creative padding, prints and pop culture.
He says… “My designs are slightly subversive in their way; it can be in the cut, or the colour, but they’re always obtainable”.
Alexander McQueen:
Luella Bartley:
Who? Made her catwalk debut in 2000. The dudette of British fashion: she now lives in Cornwall with three kids and a surfer husband.
Where can we see her? Kate Moss and Lily Allen are big fans and are regularly seen sporting one of Luella’s prom dresses.
What’s going on at the moment? The fashion label is currently seeing some hard times as a result of this nasty thing called the ‘recession’. Luella’s lost her financial backing but this does not necessarily mean the end of British sensation.
Associates with? Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof and Anna Wintour were all in attendance at her runway show at London fashion week this September.
Will her style endure? A label which has been described by American Vogue as ‘the poster child for London cool’ can surely find another backer. Luella has been around for almost a decade and provided us with what she described as “the kind of clothes you can get drunk, and fall over in”…long live Luella!
Vivienne Westward:
Who? The stalwart of British fashion designers; she has been designing clothes since 1971. Westwood is a huge Anglophile and her patriotism pervades into her fashion line.
Where can we see her? Her clothes may be niche but her popularity is such that there is a Vivienne Westwood shop in almost every city; we are lucky enough to have one in York. Her collections are a global sensation and may be seen at every fashion show.
Most famous for? Using fashion as a mouthpiece for her politics. In 2005 she made baby T-shirts which stated ‘I AM NOT A TERRORIST please don’t arrest me’. She also designed Carrie Bradshaw’s SITC wedding dress….it was a beauty!
Associates with? Everyone wants to be her friend because she is cooler than cool; she used to dress the Sex Pistols. Style? Described as the ‘mother of punk’, Westwood’s clothes are designed to complement the female form but also bring an edge to clothing which is often sacrificed by designers in the pursuit of flattery.