British fashion has always mixed practicality with a love of rule-breaking, and its story is closely tied to the changing decades.
A century of change
One account of British fashion notes that wartime shortages shaped the 1940s, when a government utility scheme limited the fabric used in clothes. By the 1960s dressing had become more playful, and Mary Quant designed the miniskirt for young shoppers during the era of Swinging London. The 1970s then brought hippie, punk and disco looks side by side.
Designers who made their mark
Vivienne Westwood, a self-taught designer with a punk-influenced style, started out selling vintage clothing, and the V&A staged a retrospective of her work in 2004. Alexander McQueen became head designer at Givenchy and won British Designer of the Year four times, while Stella McCartney, who trained at Central Saint Martins, became known for avoiding leather, fur and feathers. Burberry, meanwhile, is noted for its checked pattern and trench coats.
London Fashion Week
The British Fashion Council established London Fashion Week in 1984. It is held twice a year and is described as one of the four major fashion weeks, alongside New York, Milan and Paris.
Sources: FutureLearn: history of fashion in the UK, V&A: London Fashion Week.
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