Most Wanted: Colin McDowell
Sunday Times Style senior fashion writer Colin McDowell is one of the world's most authoritative fashion commentators. With 30 years in the business under his belt, his influence and knowledge are unheralded: He regularly speaks at the Costume Society of Great Britain, is a visiting professor at Central Saint Martins, is the author of McDowell's Directory of Twentieth Century Fashion (which has become so much the standard work on modern fashion designers that it is referred to as "the Bible"), and is the creator of Fashion Fringe in London, which, in just two short years, has become the toast of London Fashion Week. The Daily thought you might like a chat with the incisive legend.
Do you ever tire of fashion shows?
I love writing fashion reports. I still find fashion shows fantastic. They are so extraordinary because they are produced against all logic. So much money and effort goes into something that is over in 11 minutes. I'm not the sort of man to cry at a fashion show, but I do find them very moving.
Are there any intellectual fashion designers?
It's amazing because most designers aren't very intellectual. After my 30 years in fashion, I've still not met an intellectual designer. They don't exist. In fact, after years of writing I've probably only met about five intellectuals in total, people who are actually able to separate their thought process from their emotions. There are still far too many people in fashion who think a serious read is the October issue of American Vogue. Actually, Miuccia Prada is an exception-she's highly intellectual.
Have you ever been banned from a show?
I've been banned from several shows in my time. Balenciaga banned me last season. I wrote about the pretentiousness of fashion houses and meant Balenciaga, of course. I've never met Nicolas, but I think he's a fantastic designer. But banning journalists is, I think, a little unwise. When I'm banned, I'm always pleased because I know I've said something important and I think that's my job. Armani was the first show I was banned from, many years ago, and I can't see that changing-why would I want it to?! It's not an easy job, sitting there for an hour waiting for a show to start on a tiny chair in cramped conditions. It's abominable.
Who do you really admire in fashion?
Anna Wintour. She gets to shows at exactly the right time. She is a woman of enormous power. She sets an example of discipline that others should follow, but designers just ignore it.
What do you think of Tom Ford?
Tom is always the best at saying things. He knows he shouldn't say things, but he does it with this marvelous sparkle in his eye. His recent nude shoot in W was outrageous but totally him. His Estée Lauder deal is a stroke of genius. He said to me that when he started designing his own collection, he'll be in profit straight away, as Estée Lauder will have funded it. He's a very shrewd man. I wish he wouldn't appear in public with eyeliner on, but there we go.
Do gay men make better fashion designers?
Not necessarily. There are quite a few straight male designers-Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Paul Smith-who have done pretty well. It's a pity that more men don't think it's a career that they can go into. But it's because men are hideously insecure, as any woman knows. Men are most defiantly the weaker sex, and it's all to do with their willies.
What do you think of couture? Is couture necessary?
Sometimes I'm yes, sometimes I'm no. It's an ising tool, really. But I love it. I would hate to miss it.
Are you too knowledgeable for fashion reporting?
I think the past and one's own experiences are so important. You have to know what you're talking about. It does annoy me about young journalists who know bugger all, and yet they sit in judgment. The level of fashion journalism is rock bottom at the moment. A man like Karl Lagerfeld is highly cultured, with a huge breadth of experience and knowledge. But among today's media, he's casting pearls before swine.
What do you do when you're bored?
I'm only bored while waiting for a fashion show to begin, but as they only last for 11 minutes, one should be able to keep awake. I'm very humble in the face of creativity-designers make such an effort, so it's a bit rude to fall asleep.
Your favorite Fashion Week location?
I love New York Fashion Week, but it rarely has to do with fashion innovation. If we were thinking about it in art terms, American fashion is the perennial impressionist show-giving people lovely things with which they're familiar. What it needs is a bit more Damien Hirst.
Favorite fashion moments?
Over the years, I've seen some incredible shows-Armani's in the early '80s were amazing. YSL's were probably the greatest. John Galliano's shows are extraordinary and usually provoke some huge reaction-his last show was fantastic. McQueen's were amazing when he showed in London, but that's all changed now that he's owned by Gucci. Dolce & Gabbana's shows are also wonderful and terrific-they are high-octane, creative show-biz affairs. We are privileged to witness such spectacles. You come out of one of Alber Elbaz's shows for Lanvin and you feel satisfied with what you've seen-beautiful clothes created by a man who honestly believes he's not important apart from making women look beautiful. I love that dedicated puritan element. I think you also used to get that to a degree with Jil Sander and Strenesse. If I were a woman, I would feel so right in these kind of clothes-I also feel that way about what Martin Margiela does for Hermès. Clothes are not art: They can be very artistic, but they're nothing unless they're moving with a body inside. Again, it's a bit like men's willies-all limp and sad until they become marvelous when they come to life.
Why did you set up Fashion Fringe?
I was frustrated with what was happening in London. I felt we were being slowly slid off the map-which is a terrible thing, as it's the most creative city in the world. I have a great regard for talent, and the U.K. can throw it away. Fashion journalists are very childish and always want a new toy. I was determined to find new designers and nurture them over time. It's only the beginning, and we've only done two years so far. I love it and find it incredibly satisfying. I know exactly what I want to do with Fashion Fringe-I just need the money to do it.
Basso & Brooke: Two Years After The Win
Shortly after Fashion Fringe put them on the map, Basso & Brooke signed a license deal, assisted by IMG, with AEFFE, the Italian manufacturer behind Narciso Rodriguez, Alberta Ferretti, and Moschino [IMG is partners with Colin in Fashion Fringe and is the owner of The Daily]. Now Basso & Brooke is distributed globally, and its designers are Fashion Fringe's greatest ambassadors. Says Chris Brooke: "My life has changed quite drastically for the better since winning Fashion Fringe. We're doing three collections a year now, including a cruise line. We're also doing bespoke interiors, launched at Harrods in September. We did shows in Russia, Singapore, Brazil, and Busan in Korea. We don't have any time to ourselves at all! It's been hectic." Chuck Bennett, global head of IMG Fashion, adds, "IMG is committed to be a part of the development of new fashion talent around the world, and help them navigate through a complex business environment."
Colin's guilty verdicts, as printed in the Sunday Times Style
March 12, 2000
McQueen for Givenchy
"What a thin little show: It would have disappointed in a medium-priced label in London, let alone as an offering from a big French house. Tablecloth checks, shiny shorts, and tight pants are all so done to death that they have no place on a Paris runway."
October 16, 2005
Jil Sander
"A vision that is becoming static is that of Jil Sander....Putting rows of false pockets on clothes that stem from one of modern design's purist sensibilities doesn't move anything forward, any more than adding trellis to the bodywork of a Bentley might."
February 27, 2005
Louis Vuitton menswear
"...Louis Vuitton, where Marc Jacobs gave us an uncharacteristically uncool collection. Overrich to the point of indigestible, his catwalk was awash with fur (including the directional astrakhan), ostrich skin, and watered-silk trousers. The result was disconcertingly feminine, with strong overtones of Californian gigolos."
ALISON BISHOP
