april 30, 2019
London Calling - Capital of Cool
According to the British Fashion Council, the UK fashion industry was responsible for adding £32 billion to the UK economy in 2018.
Britain has always been at the forefront of the fashion industry, and London is the global fashion capital of the world. It was back in 1966 that Time magazine described London as the ‘swinging city’ – and it’s retained this title ever since
Some of the biggest names in design made their names here, including Mary Quant, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney. It’s home to the world’s most prestigious fashion colleges, and each February, it hosts London Fashion Week – one of the most important events on the fashion calendar along with Paris, Milan and New York.
It’s home also to Carnaby Street: an area synonymous with fashion and for decades a barometer on London street fashion – and a mecca for the rich and famous wanting to dress in the latest styles. Carnaby Street’s heyday was in the 1960s when the world looked to London for fashion inspiration. Stars like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks (whose song ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ references the street), and queens of style Brigitte Bardot and Elizabeth Taylor were regular visitors in this era.
The cultural diversity of London, its vibrant creative community and unquenchable entrepreneurial spirit are all factors that contribute to London’s special place in the story of fashion. But London isn’t just the hub of global fashion; it’s a style icon in its own right.
Every year, the city attracts around 30 million tourists from all over the world, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world. They come to visit its numerous internationally renowned landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, to take in a show in the city’s West End, shop in Oxford Street and Covent Garden, and to stroll through London’s abundant green spaces.
As a British brand based not far from London and supplying products to many of the city’s tourist attractions, we love London. We have several designs in our collection celebrating the capital’s rich heritage:
This elegant Miss London design from our Signature of London collection encapsulates the excitement of life in the capital. A stylish young girl with an umbrella visits various iconic London landmarks including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge. The design shows the girl in alternating outfits of red and black and includes a classic London bus. City life is cool!
London Bear is another design from our unique Signature of London range. It’s a quirky and fun take on British heritage and features a cute teddy bear who loves to dress up as different London characters. In this design, he appears as Union Jack Bear, Beefeater bear, Royal Guard Bear and Metropolitan Police Bear. We challenge you to resist this charming and patriotic bear!
As the name suggests, the Royal Guard – also known as the Queen's Guard – protects the Queen. Our design depicts guardsmen in their smart red and black uniforms – on horseback and on sentry duty outside Buckingham Palace. Within the design, you will also find Tower Bridge and the royal crown.
The British Royal family is famous throughout the world, and with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle expecting their first baby very soon, we confidently predict that our Royal Guard design will be a top seller in 2019!
Bright Lights, Big City: Celebrate London Style with a Signare Design
You don’t have to live in London to love this amazing city. You’ll find London landmarks featured on a diverse range of products including handbags, backpacks, laptop bags, purses, wallets, cushion covers – and many more besides!
Need help? If you’d like any help or advice regarding Signare products, please call us on +44(0)1276 29483 or email us at info@acjade.co.uk.
