BORIS STARS IN SAVILE ROW LINE-UP

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, came to Savile Row during the London Collections: Men event, to help promote it and British menswear in general.

He did not, alas, order a new suit whilst there but acknowledged that the one he was wearing had been made some time ago “when I was thinner”. Though his usual dishevelled self, he yet managed to upstage the models, as above, and waxed lyrical about British menswear and its place in the world.

He has star quality, attracting a bevy of international media that many dignatories must envy. His relaxed pose, above, shows him to be a natural model. And the aplomb with which he dealt with a rapid succession of interviews, stating the case for Savile Row with enthusiasm and wit, illustrated just why he is so popular.

Chester Barrie and Maurice Sedwell put out the red carpet to welcome the Mayor.

Particularly appealing was his simile regarding the Row’s customers – “They come like salmon rushing to spawn”. He emphasised that British menswear leads the world and always has, though crediting Beau Brummel with inventing the suit was going a touch far. And he stated that the suit was so successful because “It is so simple. We men can just put in on and we conform to the expectations of society.”

TV, photographers and journalists hung upon his words and when he finally rode off on his bicycle, Savile Row lost a little lustre!

TALENTS WAITING IN THE WINGS

Prior to London Collections: Men, those waiting in the wings to become the next generation of successful British designers, tailors and manufacturers were strutting their stuff at the seasonal Graduate Fashion Week.

The more imaginative flights of fancy for menswear here were not likely to be taken up by the Mayor , or any other businessmen for that matter. But the originality and shock factor seen in student collections is what brings overseas buyers, manufacturers and design houses to London, where they hope to snap up these emerging talents.

Over 1,000 graduates from UK and overseas universities take part, showing the rich variety that is in the pipeline.

"I do believe that British students are flourishing because you have the best education system in England that gives Art & Design students the freedom to think, to dream and to do." said Alber Elbaz, top designer at the House of Lanvin.

High spot of the week is the Kingston College show, a good barometer for the way things are going at a young level. And the way they are going is long, loose and layered, with lots of exposure through open side panels, see-through sections and cut-away lines. This applied to both sexes, with much mixing of materials and textures, and some sci-fi details.

It wasn’t menswear as we know it but, give it a few years, and Darth Vadar-look-alikes may take over the boardroom.

At top, a fairly standard cream suit but with the addition of pads at the knee and elbow that would make it good for cycling or skateboarding. By Laura Teasdale of Kingston. Above left, layered and multi-fabric outfit from Helen Senior of De Montfort Uni. Brilliantly coloured skirts with formal tailored jackets, right, from Juliena Siqueira at Instituto Marangoni. And left, the shape of things to come in womenswear, from Zheng Zeng at Kingston.