Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore
An exhibition at Somerset House, London, celebrates the extraordinary influence of the late British patron of fashion Isabella Blow, who is well known for a unique sense of style and launching the career of Alexander McQueen.
Born into the rarefied world of British aristocracy, Blow’s career began in the early 1980s as Anna Wintour’s assistant at US Vogue. Blow founded her position in the fashion industry through working for Tatler, British Vogue and as Fashion Director of ‘Style’ at The Sunday Times.
The exhibition, titled ‘Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!’ showcases over a garments from Blow’s incredibly diverse collection, which is one of the most significant private collections of late 20th Century/early 21st Century British fashion. Garments on display include pieces from the many designer talents she discovered along with her favourite designers, such as Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan, Julien Macdonald, Jeremy Scott, Comme des Garçons, and Viktor and Rolf.
The exhibition is broken down into six key sections:
Isabella’s Background
The first section of the exhibition explores Blow’s background, and her British aristocratic ancestral roots.
Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy
This section celebrates the beginnings of McQueen and Treacy’s careers and the talent that Blow saw in them. The designers’ graduate collections from their time at significant design school Central Saint Martins are on display.
Countryside
Inspired by Blow’s love of the English countryside, groups of clothing from her collection are presented in four themes that conjure the fantastical world she inhabited and drew inspiration. They reflect her love of birds, flowers and the surreal.
Isabella’s Outfits and Style
These pieces demonstrate her distinctive, eclectic style and mixing of designer pieces. Blow was quoted as saying “fashion is a vampiric thing, it’s the hoover on your brain. That’s why I wear the hats, to keep everyone away from me,” demonstrating the way in which Blow wore her clothing as a form of armour.
Isabella at Work/Head and Feet
Taken from Blow’s owns words: “Tip: Always accentuate the head and the feet”, this part of the exhibition will look at the importance that hats and shoes played in her life.
Legacy
The final section in the exhibition displays ‘La Dame Bleue’ – the SS08 Alexander McQueen collection that McQueen and Treacy collaborated on and dedicated to Blow after her death.
‘Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!’ is on display at Somerset House, London, England until Sunday 2 March 2014.
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