Matthew Williamson - Ten years in fashion

It's a long time since Manchester was centre of the textile industry, but the city still fosters design talents. The best example is Mancunian Matthew Williamson, who this year celebrates 10 years in the fashion industry. I went to see the exhibition "Matthew Williamson: Ten years in fashion" at the Urbis this weekend, organised by the Design Museum, London. The exhibition presented some of his most iconic dresses (as worn by Kylie, Sienna and Kate), as well as pieces from his newest collection. What I found most interesting about it, was the videos about his design process and inspiration. I must admit that Williamson has never been a favourite of mine, simply because I feel his clothes wouldn't work on me, but it's still impressive to see the clothes up close and study his use of patterns and excessive details. It seems he's always had his distinctive own style, from his days as a student at Central St Martins, to the jet set life he's living now. Anyway, pictures speak more than words!:

 

From top left: Sketches, the finished dress, patterns, dress and bag from SS08 collection.