ROYALS
The Queen’s Quiet Influence on Britain’s Fashion
Industry
BY ALICE
NEWBOLD
September
15, 2022
https://www.vogue.com/article/queen-elizabeth-british-fashion-industry-influence
The
outpouring of tributes from designers, from Stella McCartney to Paul Smith,
reflected the impact the late Queen Elizabeth II had on the British fashion
community throughout her reign. From the way London legend Alexander McQueen
consistently referenced royal iconography, to Erdem Moralıoğlu’s reimagining of
the Queen’s stories for his own narratives, Her Majesty has, as Sarah Burton
put it, “been a constant source of stability.” But beyond the explicit
references—the headscarves, loafers, and ladylike handbags—there are other,
quieter ways in which the passionate advocate for quality helped to raise the
bar for the making of our clothes.
Announcing
Richard Quinn as the inaugural recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Award for
British Design in 2018, Her Majesty touched on the talent at the heart of the
country she represented: “From the tweed of the Hebrides, Nottingham lace, and
of course Carnaby Street, our fashion industry has been renowned for
outstanding craftsmanship for many years, and continues to produce world-class
textiles and cutting-edge practical designs.” This excellence—the very
foundation of British fashion—is echoed in the Royal Warrant system, which
V&A senior fashion curator Sonnet Stanfill classifies as a “mark of
distinction that suggests legacy and tradition.” For a brand to be welcomed
into the royal household (warrant holders must have supplied goods or services
to the Queen or the former Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, for a minimum
of five years), is a true signifier of the best of British—not the loud, showy
kind, but quiet, classic fashion built to last.
“As a Royal
Warrant holder, we adhere to the highest ethical and environmental standards,”
says Jo Smith, grantee of the warrants at tailoring specialist Daks, which was
given its first royal nod by Her Majesty 60 years ago, and enjoyed visits from
the Queen at its Larkhall factory in Scotland. “Our procedures and standards
are therefore rigorous—from procurement of raw materials for our fabrics,
through to the treatment of staff in factories and excellence in the finished
products and service.”
The
V&A, which was born in 1852 as a “schoolroom for everyone,” frequently
fields requests from designers to inspect garments that uphold this level of
craftsmanship. Originally forged out of Prince Albert’s mission to improve the
standards of British industry by educating designers, manufacturers, and
consumers in art and science, the institution’s Clothworkers’ Centre is still
an educational hub where anyone can learn more about how and why things are
made. The nuts and bolts of design are what Her Majesty had such exacting
standards for—the reason why she wore the same handmade Anello & Davide
shoes for 50 years. Ditto her polished top-handle Launer London bags. The
legacy she leaves behind is to cherish slow, considered fashion (the lifespan
of her personal outfits was around 25 years), that has no shelf life and can be
passed on to future generations.
At the
heart of this is the British couture the Queen championed. While her sister
Princess Margaret was swayed by French fancies such as Christian Dior,
Elizabeth was steadfast in her commitment to homegrown brands, specifically
court dressers Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell, who famously made her
Botticelli-inspired wedding gown from duchesse satin purchased with ration
vouchers (further evidence of how she was keenly attuned to the times). Her “Flowers
Of The Field Of France” dress, made by Hartnell and now housed in the V&A’s
permanent collection, is emblematic of her eye for detail and the symbolism at
the heart of her wardrobe. (“I despise simplicity; it is the negation of all
that is beautiful,” Hartnell said once.) Worn on a state visit to Paris in the
summer of 1957, the evening look featured tiny bees (the emblem of Napoleon),
and the wildflowers of her host nation in faceted glass, gold beads, pearls,
and gold petals. “The embellishment rose up out of the dress like sculpture,”
notes Stanfill of the highly ornate diplomatic tool designed to flatter France
while simultaneously drawing attention to the Queen – and how the UK’s
meticulously made garments could rival those from any Parisian atelier.
From state
visits in star couture to Barbour waterproofs in Balmoral, the flip side to the
Queen’s public-facing wardrobe was her easy country attire, which though
weather-beaten, was no less cherished than her ornate gowns. (Dame Margaret
Barbour once revealed the Queen preferred to have her fail-safe jacket
re-waxed, rather than accepting a new one.) “Over the decades, she adopted a
uniform or a kit of parts, because she knew her clothes needed to fulfill a
function,” asserts Stanfill, whose favorite image of Her Majesty finds the
royal giving Ronald Reagan a tour of the Windsor Castle grounds on horseback in
1982. “She dressed to inspire trust in a way that was always appropriate.”
Indeed her
life of dedication, to her subjects and the values of the sovereign, was laid
out in her Coronation Day speech in 1953. “Throughout all my life and with all
my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust,” she said. Her personal
wardrobe—and the skilled craftsmanship behind it—was the most visible symbol of
her devotion. And from the factory tours to her front row appearances, there
can be no doubt she did it all with heart.
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