By Margarita Nahapetyan
Designer Matthew Williamson has revealed earlier this week that his spring/summer 2010 collection will be presented in the capital of Britain. Williamson's return to the London catwalk coincides with the 25th anniversary celebrations of both the British Fashion Council and London Fashion Week. This year the British fashion industry is preparing for a grander occasion than ever before, aided by its relocation from the Natural History Museum to the new home at Somerset House.
Williamson said in an interview that London Fashion Week has always been very special to him. "I am proud to celebrate with the British Fashion Council in its 25th anniversary and return to showing in London this September. I am really excited to be part of a fashion week that will showcase such a wide breadth of talent with a new home at Somerset house," he said.
Williamson, the Central Saint Martin's graduate, who set up his label in 1997, has shown at New York Fashion week since 2002. He last made an appearance at London Fashion Week back in September 2007, with a one-time celebratory home town show for the 10th anniversary of his label. One of the major reasons for a designer to leave London was to attract the attention of the international fashion media, which most of the times skips the British capital entirely. When asked if he was concerned about losing his customers in the United States, Williamson said that the fact that Burberry will be coming back from Milan to present their new collection this fall, will be of a great help. "Also, I understand that the British Fashion Council are pulling out all the stops for the anniversary so I am less nervous than I have been in the past," he added.
Williamson's designs are known for their feminine cuts and exotic colors, and have been gracefully worn on the red carpet by celebrities such as Sienna Miller, Keira Knightly and Gwyneth Paltrow. The designer has recently enjoyed the overwhelming success of his capsule collection for the high street store H&M. His pieces were sold out within the matter of few hours after hitting the stores, as the collaboration with the affordable retailer meant that all items by the designer could be purchased for as little as $79.99 for a silk, butterfly-print dress.
Talented and successful British fashion designers leaving London Fashion Week became such a common thing for the past twenty years that it has almost become a cliché. Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Luella Bartley all left London at the start of their careers and the move worked really well for them all, bringing them international acceptance and audience they might not have received had they stayed in their own home town.
London Fashion Weeks starts on September 18th and runs until September 22.
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