Fashion sycophancy: it’s all Kate Dross
December 6, 2011 | 
Author LALAGE BEAUMONT HAS A BONE TO PICK WITH THE GLOSSIES
I am slightly ashamed to admit that it was with a growing sense of glee that I read Liz Jones’s article about Kate Moss for TopShop in Femail yesterday (2nd May). Not known for her sympathetic attitude to fashion floozies, I find the woman to be delightfully refreshing in an era where fashion journalism seems to have lost its way in a haze of celebrity idolatry. To summarize, the article gave a commendably merciless account of the sense of disappointment that abounded amongst shoppers at the launch of Kate Moss’s range. The hype was such that hopes and expectations were understandably dashed when met with poor fit, shoddy quality and inflated price tags. Thus far Liz Jones appears to be the only journalist with enough gumption to stop and point out that Kate Moss is a model (a very successful one at that) and not a designer. She has not studied the human form, tailoring techniques or fabric compositions. She has not a clue about proportion, shape or the innovation required to create the art form that is fashion design.
As a designer who has worked for some of the oldest English fashion houses and now toils six days a week to fill her boutique with unique and beautiful pieces I feel that piles of mass produced and entirely unoriginal garments go against all that makes fashion covetable.
I find myself constantly frustrated at the attitudes of the fashion press and I am at a loss to explain why, if our customers are so relieved to find something that doesn’t feature on every high street in the UK, every magazine continues to be full of items which promise to be clothing dozens of clones at any one time. Just what has happened to iconic, flattering clothes framed in stylistically beautiful shots? Real women want real clothes, not chiffon dresses with gum boots! I used to long to emulate a model in Vogue – now it’s page on page of whimsical styling that people struggle to buy into. I believe many of the clothes people are longing to buy remain unsold because of a disillusionment with what magazines direct us to buy.
We all know that getting editorial is a constant battle, and one that tends to be won by the big boys with a double page advert three pages back, but the question is how to get the stylists to take a breather from lapping at Kate Moss’s/Madonna’s/Kelly Brookes heels long enough to realize what they are missing?
We see enough of Kate Moss splashed across tabloids, gossip rags and ad campaigns so all I’m advocating is that some space be left for the rest of us!
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Bella West Photography wins Award
Our photographer BELLA WEST won ‘Fashion Photographer of the Year’ at the recent British Professional Photography Awards with this photograph. You might recognise the dress from our Autumn/Winter 2008 collection.
Modern Icons
On hearing recently about the incredible business growth some brands are achieving, without any formal endorsement contract, through pop stars, sports personalities and other modern idols being seen wearing their products, I again started to consider this as something that could have a huge impact on the success of my label. Thinking of whom the right celebrities might be to approach with offers of free clothing (for a brand which is aimed at a customer over 25) is however somewhat of a conundrum. Even after asking friends, family and colleagues, we have really come up with a very short list. The problem is that in this very celebrity obsessed era, where so many are famous simply for being famous, nearly all of these people are very young i.e. under 25. To find living style icons that really could help by appearing in my clothes, a decade older than the general slew, you come down to some of the Royals, newsreaders and a few over the hill soap stars. Not that I wish to be disparaging about any of these but are they really style icons? Why, when we have an ageing population, are we so youth obsessed. If Vogue had an issue celebrating ageless style in July last year, with one wonderful feature showing clothes that any age could wear, and Marks and Spencer have had such successful advertising campaigns showing different generations wearing their products, then why is it so hard to think of just the right sophisticated, elegant, stylish celebrity to promote my brand. I guess I shall just have to keep pondering any suggestions welcome!