London Fashion Week turns 25, goes to ELLE

john galliano for ELLE UK


London Fashion Week (February 20-25) is 25 years old this year. To mark this auspicious occasion, ELLE UK commissioned four commemorative covers for its March 2009 issue from four Brit frock stars: John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney and Christopher Kane. Hilariously, of course, only one of these names considers London Fashion Week a suitable showcase for their main line collection: Kane. With Galliano, McCartney and Westwood having long since buggered off to Paris (Westwood shows only her Red diffusion line in London). Knowing how exasperating some of the London PR contingent can be, frockwriter does not blame them for heading to more business-nosed waters. Here are two covers. Note McCartney has deployed a Beatles T-shirt on hers. And Westwood, interestingly, opted not only to provide a cover, but also a mini DIY manifesto for looking fabulous during hard times.


stella mccartney for ELLE UK


Westwood's DIY manifesto reads:

“In these hard times – Dress up. Do it yourself!”

With a few suggestions:

Necklace out of safety pins
Badges (preferably with political slogans)
Kerchiefs worn as knickers (good for disco or beach, or tied up as a bag)

The wording "we also offer..." does make it look like a bit of an opportunistic ad but hey, challenging times call for creative strategies.

Given, however, that one of Westwood's prefab sartorial solutions does not sound like it involves much value-adding, it's difficult to fathom why the cash-strapped would be heading to Westwood to pay full price for the look:

"Metres of precious silk thrown over ourself & attached to our body with hidden strings = evening wear"

The manifesto concludes with a plea on behalf of Westwood's fave prisoner of conscience, Leonard Peltier, the notification that $30billion per year is needed to save "the rainforest" and, naturellement, a flying cock.