Fashion Museum in Bath

The story of fashion over the last 400 years is brought alive at the Fashion museum the finest museum of fashionable garments in the world.
A world-class collection of contemporary and historical dress. The displays include 150 dressed figures to illustrate the changing styles in fashionable clothes from the late 16th century to the present day, chosen from the museum's collection of 30,000 original items.
The galleries have been completely re - displayed in a series of themes including menswear and womenswear, dress for day and dress for evening, as well as alternative fashion and fashion today. There is a special 'Corsets and Crinolines' display where visitors can try on reproduction garments. Assembly Room cafe and Fashion Museum giftshop open daily.

Collections:

Menswear, womenswear, accessories, dresses, coats, jackets, corsets, knitwear, fashion photographs, pockets, shirts, blouses, waistcoats, fans. The collection at the Fashion Museum includes examples of all of these types of fashions, and more. The earliest pieces in the collection are embroidered shirts and gloves from about 1600. The most up-to-date pieces in the collection are our 2008 Dress of the Year ensembles; a Navy blue and gold star trouser ensemble by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, which was worn by Kate Moss to her 34^th birthday party in 2008.
The Fashion Museum collection was started by Doris Langley Moore, a collector, costume designer and author. She gave her collection to the city of Bath in 1963, and Bath City Council used it to found the Museum of Costume. The collection is now three times its original size and the museum changed its name to the Fashion Museum in 2007.

Here you can learn more about Fashion Museum in Bath http://www.fashionmuseum.co.uk/

John Galliano

Juan Carlos Antonio Galliano Guillén, (born 28 November 1960), professionally known as John Galliano, is a Gibraltarian-British fashion designer. In 1984, he graduated in fashion design from Central St. Martin's School of Art and Design with a collection inspired by the French Revolution. The collection, entitled Les Incroyables, received positive reviews and was bought in its entirety by and sold in the London fashion boutique Browns. Galliano began his own label and met future collaborators Amanda Harlech, at that time stylist with Harpers and Queen, and Stephen Jones, a milliner.

Initially, financial backing came from Johan Brun, and when this agreement came to an end Danish entrepreneur Peder Bertelsen, owner of firm Aguecheek, who were also backing Katherine Hamnett at the time, took over. This agreement ended in 1988 and Galliano sought the backing of German agent Faycal Amor (owner and designer of fashion label Plein Sud) who directed him to set up his base in Paris. Galliano relocated to Paris in search of financial backing and a strong client base, his first show was in 1989 as part of Paris Fashion Week.

He has been quoted as identifying his love of theatre and femininity as central to his creations – "my role is to seduce" he has said and went as far as recreating some of Dior's period clothing for Madonna in the film Evita. Galliano has reputedly cited Charlize Theron as a muse and has been creating couture dresses for her to wear to formal red carpet events such as theAcademy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. She is also part of the ad campaign for Dior's "J'Adore" perfume, while Riley Keough, granddaughter of Elvis Presley, fronts his "Miss Dior Cherie" perfume, and Kate Moss, in photographs by Nick Knight, his ready-to-wear campaigns as well as modelling in both couture and ready-to-wear shows. His couture shows have featured other elite couture models of the last two decades - Erin O'Connor, Alek Wek, Linda Evangelista, and Karen Mulder. Hollywood film stars Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman have frequently worn dresses created by him to the Academy Awards. Private clientele for couture collections include Daphne Guinness and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Currently, between his own label and Dior, Galliano produces six couture and ready-to-wear collections a year and a new mid-season range under his own name "G Galliano"

Here you can learn more about Galliano: http://www.johngalliano.com/

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer known for his unconventional designs and shock tactics. McQueen worked as the head designer at Givenchy for five years before founding the Alexander McQueen and McQ labels. McQueen's dramatic designs, worn by celebrities including Björk, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, met with critical acclaim and earned him the British Designer of the Year award four times. Some of McQueen's accomplishments included being one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003; he was also awarded the CBE and named International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers in 2003.

December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen, with the Gucci Group acquiring 51% of his company and McQueen serving as Creative Director. Plans for expansion included the opening of stores in London, Milan and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom and, most recently, My Queen. In 2005 McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of trainers for the shoe brand.. In 2006 he launched McQ, a younger, more renegade lower priced line for men and women.

McQueen became the first designer to participate in MAC's promotion of cosmetic releases created by fashion designers. The collection, McQueen, was released on 11 October 2007 and reflected the looks used on the Autumn/Winter McQueen catwalk. The inspiration for the collection was the Elizabeth Taylor movie Cleopatra, and thus the models sported intense blue, green, and teal eyes with strong black liner extended Egyptian-style. McQueen handpicked the makeup.

Here you can learn more about Alexander McQueen http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/

"Fashion is not just beauty, it's about good attitude. … Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." Coco Chanel.

Burberry is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing, fragrance, and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. The company has branded stores and franchises around the world, and also sells through concessions in third-party stores. It runs a catalogue business and has a fragrance line. HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince of Wales have granted the company Royal Warrants. Burberry's trademark products are its fashionable handbags and exclusive fragrances. The Creative Director is Сhristopher Bailey. 

History.

Burberry was founded in 1856 when 21-year-old Thomas Burberry, a former draper's apprentice, opened his own store in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. By 1870, the business had established itself by focusing on the development of outdoors attire. In 1880, Burberry invented gabardine, a hardwearing, water-resistant yet breathable fabric, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving. The Gabardine was patented in 1888. Burberry was the original name, but then the company soon switched to using the name Burberrys, after many customers from around the world began calling it Burberrys of London. This name is still visible on many older Burberry products.

In 1891, Burberry opened a shop in the Haymarket, London, which still exists and until recently was the site of Burberry’s corporate headquarters. Now the headquarters are at Horseferry House just behind Houses of Parliament, Westminster (London).

In 1901, the Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo was developed containing the Latin word "Prorsum", meaning forwards, and registered as a trademark. In 1911 they became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who led a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica. A Burberry gabardine jacket was worn by George Mallory on his ill-fated attempt on Mount Everest in 1924.

In 1914 Burberry was commissioned by the War Office to adapt its officer's coat to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare, resulting in the "trench coat". After the war, the trench coat became popular with civilians. The iconic Burberry check was created in the 1920s and used as a lining in its trench coats.

Burberry also specially designed aviation garments. A. E. Clouston and Mrs Betsy Kirby Green made the fastest flying time to Cape Town from London in 1937 and were sponsored by Burberry.

The Burberry Check

The black, tan and red pattern known as heymarket check or "the Burberry classic check" was first used as a lining for the Burberry trenchcoat in 1924. It was not until 1967 that the Burberry check, now a registered trademark, was widely used on its own for items including umbrellas, scarves and luggage. Here you can learn more about Burberry collections http://www.burberry.com/

Paul Smith

Paul Smith (born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire on 5 July 1946) is an English fashion designer, whose business and reputation is founded upon his menswear. He is both commercially successful and highly respected within the fashion industry.

Today there are 12 different collections; Paul Smith, Paul Smith Women, PS by Paul Smith, Paul Smith Jeans, Paul Smith London, R.Newbold (Japan only), Paul Smith Accessories, Paul Smith Shoes, Paul Smith Fragrance, Paul Smith Watches, Paul Smith Pens and Paul Smith furniture and ‘things’; Paul Smith rugs, china, spectacles and fragrance are made under license. Designed in Nottingham and London, the Paul Smith collections are primarily produced in England and Italy while the fabrics used are mainly of Italian, French and British origin. In 2002 Paul Smith collaborated with Cappellini to create the Mondo collection of furniture inspired by observation and travel. In 2003 Paul designed an upholstery textile in partnership with Maharam, called ‘Bespoke’, which was inspired by classic pinstripe suiting.

Smith left school at the age of 15, a member of Beeston Road Club his only ambition was to become a racing cyclist until his father hauled him off to work at a clothing warehouse. Smith had no real interest in his work during his first two years there except for the cycle journey to and from his home. A terrible cycling accident put an end to his cycling ambitions, and it was only then that Smith's career in fashion design began. Six months in hospital followed and during this time Smith made some new friends. After leaving hospital he arranged to meet them all at a local pub that was popular with art students. It was then that Paul Smith knew he wanted to be part of this colourful world of ideas and excitement.

Smith started to take evening classes for tailoring, and joined Lincroft Kilgour in Savile Row after being spotted by chairman Harold Tillman, where his designs were worn by celebrities includuing footballer George Best With the help of his then girlfriend (now wife) Pauline Denyer, who was an RCA fashion graduate, and a small amount of savings, he managed to open his first shop 10 Byard Lane, Nottingham in 1970. By 1976 Paul showed his first menswear collection in Paris, under the Paul Smith label. He gradually expanded the retail business, being the first fashion brand to open on Floral Street in London's Covent Garden in 1979, where his shop offered an eclectic combination of clothes and 'finds' for men which reflected his own magpie personality.

The international growth of his business began and most famously in Japan, where his British designs have been particularly popular, while he expanded into three adjacent stores on Floral Street. A converted town-house in Notting Hill, London opened in 1998 and is now his flagship shop, with the company's operational heart remaining between Nottingham and London. In 1998 Paul showed his first women's collection at London Fashion Week, the women's mainline collection continues to this day.

Most recently, within the last 2 years, Smith has opened shops in Dubai, Bangalore, Leeds, Antwerp, Los Angeles and another shop in London, in addition to a brand new warehouse building in Nottingham.

Smith remains fully involved in the business, designing clothes, choosing fabrics, approving the shop locations and overseeing every development within the company. Paul Smith also has impressive and diverse showrooms in London, Paris, Milan, New York and Tokyo.

The success of Smith's business may be attributed to his understanding of his dual roles of both designer and retailer; the success of his designs to his combination of the classic and the quirky. and which allows men to buy relatively traditional (and hence commercially popular) designs that offer a 'twist' of individuality.

Here you can look through the latest collections of Paul Smith's clothes and accesories: http://paulsmith.co.uk/