British Designers I Love

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
His fashion sketches were fearless fiving him a reputation for creating shocking and challenging ideas. He was an inspiration for creativity. Lee McQueen mastered six methods of pattern cutting after leaving school at sixteen. He went on to create collections such as "Highland Rape" and "Nihilis" as he believed "British fashion is self-confidence and fearless; it refuses to bow to commerce, thus generating a constant flow of new ideas whilst drawing on British heritage."
The signature 'bumsters' made an early appearance which proved McQueen's clear talent for challenging tradition. The brutally sharp approach of his collections mix bold imagery with extreme beauty. His clothes were priased for the unqiue interpretations and technical mixtures, including him in the roster of the most creative designers in the country. By 1996, McQueen was one of the most respected designers in the world, recognised at an international level for his extraordinary shows.

BURBERRY
The fashion sensibility of Burberry is enhances by the Prorsum collection. The label has become a beacon for global luxury brand, Burberry, The collections create a mix of classic garments and high fashion style. Set up in 1856 by Thomas Burberry, the first London sotre opened in in 1891 and by 1895, Burberry was making the uniforms for the British Army. Queen Elizabethh II granted the signature paid lining brand a Royal Warrant in 1955.
Burberry Prorsum ('forward' in Latin) began as a high fashion line in 1999 adding a modern twist to the classic luxury brand. Christopher Bailey joined Prorsum as creative director in 2001 after experience at Donna Karan and Gucci. Prorsum was transformed into a relevant fashion brand without sacrificing any of it's originality, helping it to continue defining classic styles and shapes on the runway. Bailey is inspired by Englishness alongside Burberry's heritage, showcasing the original shadow with quirky and youthful touches to keep the brand alive.

CASSETTE PLAYA
Creating a fashionable hodgepodge of sports, street-wear and exciting animation. Designed by Carri Mundane, the collections are a combinations of magic and colour, favoured by London's club kids. Mundane's vision is energetic, inspired by real and virtual worlds. Her clothes present a youthful spirit captured by a kaleidoscope of colour in menswear. Mundane's designs are described as "graphic, future, positive and primal, almost like a virtual media in the industry. Mundane confirms that contemporary methods of communications hugely influence her pieces.
Despite the garments being presented on men, Mundane described them as "mixed wear" - essentially clothes than can be worn by both genders. Ettore Sottsass, Keith Haring and Versace are among her design icons. The collections are known to have florescent colours and signature prints which I adore. Mundane believes street fashion is fashion in it's purest form.
Mundane is also a stylist, contributing her colourful visiton to magazines such as i-D, Dazed & Confused and Super Super, redefining a luxurious industry for a new generation.

CHRISTOPHER KANE
The designers of beautifully refined clothes and bright, sexy and dynamic designs. Creatively fusing colour, print and fabric, Kane is at the forefront of British fashion design. Inspired by the ingenuity of John Galliano from an early age, Christopher Kane received praise from Donatella Versace after a graduation from Central Saint Martins, landing a consultancy role at Versace in September 2006. Kane showed his first independent show at one of London's Fashion Weeks. Skin-tight pieces referenced the work of Gianni Versace, Azzedine Alaia and Hervé Leger. Kane captured the modern essence of London's fashion, with a working ethic of "working hard and trying to do something interesting". He states "I want women to feel really special in my designs but my ideas on aesthetic change like the weather." Kane's work is inspired by his own memories and interpretations, beginning at drawing, then working on a mannequin and on the body to edit the garments. For Kane, the fashion show is the most exhilarating part of his work. He certainly helps fill the quote for British designers creating on excellent international reputation for being visionary.

EMMA COOK
Her clothes combine quirky femininity with exquisite detailing, retro styling and rich textures. Cook's appreciation for using directional prints and unique character in her garments was noted by the British press who focused on her unique attention to detail after her 1999 graduation from Central Saint Martins. That very charm has come to develop and define Cook's work. After winning a Vidal Sassoon Young Talent Award, Cook produced her own collection at LFW for S/S 2001.
Despite Emma Cook's collection being described as 'girlish', they are always graphic with very strong construction techniques. There are often visible themes of natural or artistic references such as foliage, birds or animals and flowers. Cook designs her pieces to be worn over and over again - not just for the time of the year. Cook ensures that her collections present original twists on contemporary fashion by developing a girly but not cute aesthetic. The most rewarding part of her job is seeing people wearing and enjoying her clothes, despite the phenomenal designer and perfectionist never feeling satisfied.