London Fashion Week is a biannual event where the most glamorous names in the fashion industry flock to the country’s capital for four continuous days of catwalks, talks and to see and be seen. LFW this year was the home to over 150 designers, showing a rich and diverse selection of ready-to-wear, footwear, bags and accessories
Today marks the last day of the event and to celebrate another successful LFW, we’ve explored the best of British designers and a bit about their names:
Paul Smith
He is one of Britain’s foremost designers and is renowned for his creative spirit, which brings together tradition and modernity in his collections. He is especially known for his men’s fashion and especially his tailoring. Having started off in a small shop in Nottingham in 1970, the brand is now on five continents with twelve collections including: men’s, woman’s, children, shoe, accessories, fragrance, home and furniture and jeans.
Name Meaning: Paul comes from the Latin name Paulus, originally a Roman nickname meaning “small” or “modest”.
Ashley Williams
A promising young British designer based in London, Ashley Williams made her debut at LFW 2015 with her first solo runway show. She graduated in June 2012 from The University of Westminster with a degree in fashion design and has become a standout designer in recent years.
Name Meaning: Ashley was originally a male name but is now largely androgynous. The ‘ley’ suffix suggests “wood”, and the suffix “ash” is a type of tree, giving the meaning “ash wood”.
James Ganh
James Ganh, a UK-based designer, entered the jewellery industry in 2008. Combining his sense of eastern and western influences, his creations are inspired by his time in Central St. Martins and his time working for Fabergé.
Name Meaning: James is and English name meaning “supplanter”, and is both a Biblical and royal name.
Amanda Wakeley
Amanda Wakeley is one of the world’s most recognisable British brands, and she is best known for her “clean glam” signature style. Having started with evening and cocktail dresses, the brand has branched out into daywear as well. The flagship store is located in London’s Albemarle Street, Mayfair.
Name Meaning: Amanda is a Latin name and the female form of the name Amandus, meaning “loveable”.
Christopher Kane
The Scottish designer established his label in 2006, and his first independent show in the same year was lauded by many fashion critics. He also went on to collaborate with Manolo Blahnik, Swarovski, and Versace. The brand was bought by Kering, the French luxury goods holding company, in 2013.
Name Meaning: Christopher is a Greek name meaning “bearer of Christ” and was popular among early Christians.
Caitlin Charles-Jones
Upon graduating from the Royal College of Art where Caitlin Charles-Jones did her MA in Fashion Design, she founded her womenswear label in 2015. Her debut Spring/Summer 2016 collection was shown as part of Fashion Scout at LFW, where she was selected to be part of a BFC/Boden initiative called Future British.
Name Meaning: The Irish equivalent of Katherine, Caitlin means “pure”.
