Tribute to Borders rider opens London Fashion Week

A model sits upon a horse at St Paul's Cathedral following memorial service of Louise Wilson. Picture: PA

Yesterday’s memorial to the late Louise Wilson OBE, who was brought up in Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders and died last year after suffering from breast cancer, was a reminder of how important this course director of the MA in fashion at Central St Martins was to the British fashion industry.

Ms Wilson’s former pupils include the late Alexander McQueen, Phoebe Philo, as well as many of the designers who will be showing at London Fashion Week this year, including Scots Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders.

The service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral, with a speech from Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz.

Outside the cathedral there was a lone rider on a horse to mark the fact that Ms Wilson rode competitively as a child.

Celebrities in attendance included Primal Scream front-man Bobby Gillespie, designers such as Donna Karan and Victoria Beckham as well as Kanye West, who recently showed his collection for Adidas Originals x Kanye West at New York Fashion Week.

At yesterday’s opening breakfast, in a tribute to Ms Wilson, British Fashion Council chair Natalie Massanet stressed the importance of fashion educators to the health of the British fashion industry.

As far as Scottish designers at this year’s London Fashion Week are concerned, today’s big name is Edinburgh College of Art graduate Holly Fulton, who will be showing her Fall/Winter 2015 collection at 2pm. The designers’ shows are strictly under wraps, but, if her current Spring/Summer 2015 collection is anything to go by, expect her signature combination of bold structural silhouettes, Art Deco influences and intricate pattern.

Glasgow School of Art and Central St Martins graduate Jonathan Saunders, who is known for his grown-up prints, will be showing his latest creations tomorrow at 8:15pm. While, Christopher Kane, originally from Newarthill, near Motherwell, will be unveiling his collection on Monday at 3pm.

His FROW (front row) is usually as exciting as his cool collections, with previous A-list guests including model Daisy Lowe, model turned presenter and contributing British Vogue editor Alexa Chung, and American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who was also in attendance at Kanye West’s show in New York.

Tomorrow, expect an evening show from Pringle of Scotland at 7pm. The company is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, and we’re expecting high-brow things on Sunday, as the only hint to what they will be showing has been posted via Twitter with the hashtag #Sneakpeak Womenswear AW15 Moodboard. It includes a montage of a Versailles-like ceiling with chandelier and a close up of peacock feathers.