Bath in Fashion Celebrates the Best of British Fashion

Bath in Fashion 2016 celebrates the best of British fashion is celebrated by Bath in Fashion as iconic designers such as Zandra Rhodes and Barbara Hulanicki. In addition to these other favourites Erdem and Julien Macdonald whose beautiful creations are currently extremely popular on the red carpet. Livia Firth will also be a headline speaker as she challenges the sustainability of the fashion business.

 

Points of focus range from high street to haute couture, the sartorial style of Cecil Beaton and Sir Roy Strong, to the influence of Liberty, to designing for the Queen with a talk on Norman Hartnell taking place to co-incide with her 90th birthday. Queen musician, Brian May, whose interests span from rock music to astro-physics to stereo photography, looks at that extraordinary moment in fashion history; the crinoline, in his book; “Crinoline: Fashion’s Most Magnificent Disaster” (expect to see crinolines on the catwalk) and the Fashion Museum tracks many other fashion moments in its latest exhibition “A History of Fashion in 100 Objects”. 

 

Tickets go on sale on 22nd February (seebathinfashion.co.uk for details) for the week when the “fash pack” descends upon the World Heritage city.  Bath in Fashion 2016, supported by SouthGate Bath, takes place 18th – 24th April with a packed programme of events.  Now into its seventh year, the event is widely regarded as one of the most high profile fashion gatherings outside London. Funded by the Business Improvement District, in collaboration with businesses across the city, it puts Bath firmly on the fashion agenda.

 

The GREAT Britain campaign is loaning an exquisite couture dress by Nicholas Oakwell designed to reflect the quality and craftsmanship of the British Fashion industry. This one-of-a-kind dress was hand embellished with rubies and 200 000 ostrich feathers sewn in place by the Royal School of Needlework who will be delivering a lecture on embroidery in fashion. Fashion illustrator, David Downton who was also involved in the project, will be sharing anecdotes from the world of couture and his book “Portraits of the World’s Most Beautiful Woman”.

 

British success on the high street is in the spotlight with special guest Belinda Earl, Style Director of M&S in conversation with Sunday Times Style’s Head of Fashion, Claudia Croft.  With BIF LIVE shoppers can get out and explore the spring fashions with a styling event featuring a colouring wall at Anthropologie inspired by Bath-based Iain R Webb author of the Vogue Colouring Book and Sue James, Editorial Director of Woman & Home and her team in store at Jolly’s, one of the oldest department stores in Europe.  Bath is a great mix of contemporary and traditional, with a vibrant retail offer set against a heritage backdrop. SouthGate Bath, a great add-on to the city’s retail mix, is staging a range of activity including an action packed day in Debenhams and Top Shop and a Student Night.

 

British fashion writers lead the conversation including Tim Blanks now Editor-at-Large for The Business of Fashion who has invited Erdem; Colin McDowell, Hilary Alexander and Avril Groom.  In the year that British Vogue celebrates its centenary Vogue On Versace and Valentino are on the agenda. The Editor of Harper’s Bazaar, Justine Picardie talks about her book on Coco Chanel and Sarah Bailey, Editor-in-Chief of Red introduces Barbara Hulanicki. 

 

Burgeoning British design is celebrated with Joe Richards, Designer- in-Residence at Bath Spa University whose latest collection was inspired by the archive of that  very British institution, Morris& Co. Bath Spa University is staging a full day of talks around the theme of Pattern with speakers like Eley Kishimoto and Patternity.  Bath Spa University’s Fashion Design has a successful track record at Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) with two Gold Medals in the past 5 years and their course leader will chair a session on careers in the industry.  

 

Catwalk shows are staged by one of the founding fathers of GFW, John Walford in the glittering Assembly Rooms also home to Bath’s renowned Fashion Museum with its extraordinary collection of historic and contemporary dress.  Craft and creativity come to the city with a yarn bomb in aid of the RUH Cancer Care Campaign and workshops that investigate the world of Wearable Tech. Films screened at the boutique Little Theatre Cinema, Vintage Sunday with a talk on the heritage of Liberty and guest “The King of Vintage”, William Banks-Blaney plus exhibitions across the city bring colour and excitement to one of England’s prettiest cities.

 

Tickets will be on 22nd February.  For further information visit bathinfashion.co.uk.

For media enquiries and images please contact Nicky Hancock on 01225 332299 or e-mail: [email protected]