Alexander McQueen

The beginning of 2010 brought tears to the fashion world’s eyes as we had to say goodbye to one of Britain’s top designers.

Alexander McQueen was the youngest designer to receive the coveted Designer of the Year award in 2006 at the age of 27. Known as the hooligan of British Fashion, he caused uproar and controversy at the majority of his fashion shows.

In August 1998, McQueen produced a show that shocked both critics and admirers when he used actress, model and athlete Aimee Mullings, who had both legs amputated below the knee, to show a pair of hand carved prosthetic legs made from solid ash for his A/W collection.

From that time to this, McQueen has awed audiences in numerous shows from his recreation of a shipwreck scene in Spring 2003, a human sized chess game in 2005 and his latest S/S collection created female reptilian creatures dressed in scaled silks and chiffon. In 2003, McQueen was awarded a CBE by the Queen and since 1996, has won Designer of the Year, another three times.

McQueen’s death comes days before the opening of London Fashion Week and a short weeks after his mother’s death. His achievements easily outweigh those of  many others who have based decades on their work. He is survived by his loving family and those who adore him and his clothing.

Christopher Bailey

It took a down to earth Yorkshire boy to re-launch the Burberry brand and turn it into a multi million pound iconic label once more.

After Burberry fell to a mundane, traditional and sometimes “boring” fashion trap, Bailey was brought on board as a Creative Director. He was responsible for the direction of all product lines and for defining the company’s overall image and seasonal advertising concepts.

In Spring 2002, Bailey launched the Burberry Prorsum line which completely revamped the old traditional outerwear styles and made the collection far more up-to date, wearable and city chic. He also banished nearly all traces of the trademark Burberry check.

For the A/W collection 2004, Bailey took it a step further and turned the classic Burberry cream trench coat into a modern cape for both men and women and was a hit on the run ways of Paris and Milan.

Bailey also chose Emma Watson to be the successor to Kate Moss as the face for the brand.

In 2008, Bailey alongside Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, launched the Burberry Foundation which is committed to dedicating global resources to young children in under privileged areas of the world.

In November 2009, Bailey became Chief Creative Director of Burberry, the same year he recieved a MBE from the Queen for work in the Fashion industry.

This Year Burberry has been given the privilege of closing London Fashion Week with its S /S Prorsum womens wear collection on the February 22.

Stella McCartney:

The daughter of music ledged Paul McCartney, Stella began her own fashion career in 2001 after resigning as creative director of Chloé.

Stella McCartney opened her first store in New York in 2002 and was quickly followed by another in Mayfair, LA and recently in Paris.

Before embarking on her own career she had already received the VH1/Vogue Designer of the year award, presented to her by her father in 2000. That same year she designed Madonna's wedding dress for her marriage to Guy Richie. From this, her career went from strength to strength.

In 2004, McCartney launched her collaboration designs with Adidas to create a sport performance collection for women. In 2007, the collection was extended to include yoga wear, Gym Yoga, which was inspired by ballet and dance uniforms.

H&M worked with McCartney in 2005 to produce a select line of her designs to be sold in stores across the country. It was a sell out event as much of the items were identical or near identical to pieces in her own store which sold for a great deal more. Similarly in 2009, a joint project with Gap created a children’s clothing range sold in BabyGap and Gapkids in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France and Japan.

This year, McCartney has announced that she will be working with Disney to create an Alice in Wonderland inspired jewellery collection.

Vivienne Westwood

Never one to disapoint, Westwood has spent her time on the Fashion Throne creating collections that dazzle and amazing the fashion industry. without ant formal training, the designer started her work in the early 80's with collections called Let It Rock, SEX, Pirates and Buffalo Girls and instigated the punk reform. Westwood was hailed by Women's Wear Daily as one of six most influential designers of all time.

In 2004, the Victoria and Albert museum launched a travelling retrospective exhibition defining her iconic status and the tour is scheduled for seven years visting Australia, USA and China.

15 years after being arrested on the night of the Queen's Silver Jublilee, Westwood was awarded an OBE in 2006 for her services to the fashion industry. She has also won Designer of the Year twice.

Her A/W 2009 collection was shown in Milan fashion week with a production that was described as a highlighed "homeless chic". With rememblances to the Derelicte fashion show in the film Zoolander, Westwood took the theme one step further and had models dressed in orange jumpsuits to stress the Guantanamo Bay issue. Westwood was rolled out on a paramedic's stretcher to recieve her applause at the end of the show.

Westwood promises to create more eccentric fashion lines that will draw attention to international issues that are often overlooked by the fashion world.

THE ONES TO WATCH:

Jamie Biruski Tetsill:

This young Scot has already created four strong collections since graduating from Central St. Martins in July 2007. His designs incorporate a mash up of textures, bold prints, contrasting fabrics and feminine forms which stand out against the crowd. His bold approach to colour, structure and usage of tufting, which is mainly used in carpet making, has brought his talent to the forefront.  Tetsill was nominated for the Fashion Designer of the Year Award at the Glasgow Style Awards in October 2009.

Holly Fulton:

This emerging talent has already placed her name in several fashion bibles and her creations are available in selected boutiques across Europe and Asia. An unstoppable force, Fulton won the Young Designer of the Year Award at the 2009 Scottish Fashion Awards. Her S/S10 collection boasts of tailored lines and rigid forms on a monochrome base with splashes of acid yellow, scorching orange and turquoise. Her Surface Decoration of detailed embellishments on the majority of her pieces creates a uniform trend that can only be associated with her work. This trend also earned her the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for Accessories and the British Fashion Awards last year. Some of her collections will be appearing on the Sex and the City girls in the movie sequel due to be released in May 2010.

Gareth Pugh:

Pugh started his career at the tender age of 14 by designing costumes for the English National Youth Theatre but has since graduated from Central St. Martins in 2003 with a strong collection. What would become his trademark technique of using balloons to volumise and accentuate the joints and female figure was picked up by Dazed and Confused magazine and his piece was placed on the cover. His clothes are more like structures or wearable sculptures that change and mould the human form, it makes the model  far more than just a clothes horse. With supporter like Anna Wintour, Kylie and Lady Gaga, Pugh is set so success for his next S/S Collection.