As the millennium approached, it seemed like London's moment in the fashion spotlight was over. Vivienne Westwood, who had spearheaded British design through the punk era, had already moved her shows to Paris, followed by John Galliano in 1989. The turn of the century also saw two of the UK's leading names – Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney – bought by what is now the Kering Group, the French monolith that counts Gucci, Balenciaga and Brioni among its brands.
However, this exodus left a space open for a new breed of young and ambitious designers to stamp their mark on the capital's style. It would be Christopher Kane, then just 23, whose 2006 London Fashion Week debut would shock and delight editors with its daring, fun and forward-thinking aesthetic. Then there was the pioneering Fashion East project, set up by Lulu Kennedy in the Old Truman Brewery, which provided a platform for Jonathan Saunders, Roksanda Ilincic, Simone Rocha and many more. It is such talent that laid the groundwork for the world-leading creative hub that London has become today.
A new book by renowned fashion critic Sarah Mower MBE and Tania Fares, co-founder of the BFC Fashion Trust, delves behind-the-scenes of today's pioneers at the forefront of fashion in the capital. Highlighting the city's diverse nature, it steps behind the glistening doors of those at the very top of the industry, such as Burberry's south-west London headquarters – headed up by creative director Christopher Bailey – to the many companies nestled in the vibrant east, from Peter Pilotto and Simone Rocha's neighbouring studios in Hackney to Kane's Victorian warehouse in Dalston's Shacklewell Lane.
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Figures such as Lisa Armstrong of The Daily Telegraph, Tim Blanks of the Business of Fashion, Susie Bubble blogger Susie Lau and long-serving editor-in-chief of Vogue UK Alexandra Shulman, were brought in to interview and profile the 50 leading designers, offering an unprecedented insight into the industry's transformation in the 21st century.
London Uprising: Fifty Fashion Designers, One City is published by Phaidon, £69.95; phaidon.com
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