Fashion king f lags up his Scottish roots
HE may be one of the UK’s most successful designers, but Christopher Kane’s latest show at London Fashion week proved he clearly hasn’t forgotten his Scottish roots.
Bob Marley’s granddaughter, Selah, pictured right, was dressed in one of Kane’s most eye-catching creations – an over-sized jumper dress emblazoned with the lion rampant – as she enjoyed the show.
She was joined in the front row by actress Salma Hayek.
Miss Marley, 18, daughter of legendary American R&B singer Lauryn Hill and entrepreneur Rohan Marley, turned heads showcasing the sweater that takes inspiration from Kane’s roots.
The 35-year-old designer hails from Newarthill, Lanarkshire, where he was the youngest of five children.
He has become a hit with celebrities from Amy Macdonald to Samantha Cameron.
Kane, whose presentation featured knitwear, tartan and a 1980s influence, said Charles Rennie Mackintosh also inspired his designs.
He added: ‘My approach is to look at mixing old and new, making ugly beautiful and ordinary things extraordinary… it’s a very natural thing for me. I like rebelliousness in work, it can create a point of view.
‘I can always remember seeing bad copies of his [Mackintosh’s] work made into jewellery that you could buy from your High Street jewellery shop. I suppose all the tacky merchandise put me off until later, when I started to appreciate his style when I would attend life drawing at the Glasgow Art School. I really love that building.’
Also in attendance at the designer’s spring/summer 2018 launch at the Tate Modern, on the banks of the Thames, was Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue.
Miss Hayek, 51, who appeared in The Hitman’s Bodyguard alongside Samuel L Jackson this summer, attended the event with her billionaire husband, FrancoisHenri Pinault, chairman and CEO of luxury fashion conglomerate Kering, which merged with Kane’s label four years ago.
Other stars attending the exclusive fashion event included TV presenter Alexa Chung and designer Laura Bailey.