Quality over aesthetics

Celebrity has always been key in promoting fashion, none more so than movie stars.  But recently there has been a trend of using actors and actresses on the calibre of there skill in there profession rather than just on there physical appearance like in previous years.  You can see here in the Prada autumn Winter 2012-13 Milan menswear catwalk back in January, where they used Jamie Bell, Willem Dafoe, Tim Roth, Adrien Brody and Gary Oldman.

Now Prada have done it again with this Roman Polanski fashion film staring Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Kingsley, two truly great talents.

Not to say these people aren't good looking (Helena Bonham Carter is especial an extraordinarily beautiful women) but they are not the stereotypical superficial models we have seen before.  I am glad they are doing this and I think it is rather clever of Prada as by doing this they are saying and promoting not just beauty but also substance, quality, gravitas, success and talent.  Which I can relate to as a bespoke tailor as although the finished look of the suit I make is extremely important, just as important is the quality, skill and labour of love that goes into the construction.  I can also relate to Prada doing this as I have done the same for my collection and have extremely talented people modelling for me, but more on that later..

Great British Fashion Stamp

Yesterday while at Holland & Sherry of Savile Row I got to see a Tommy Nutter Suit that was originally made for Ring Star.  It was to celebrate the last 60 years of british fashion and the marking of this by Royal Mail today releasing 10 new first class stamps each with a different great british fashion designers work, which include;

• Hardy Amies
• Norman Hartnell
• Granny Takes a Trip
• Ossie Clark with Celia Birtwell
• Tommy Nutter
• Jean Muir
• Zandra Rhodes
• Vivienne Westwood
• Paul Smith
• Alexander McQueen

I just hope one day my work will make it onto a stamp.