February, 21st, 2015

_________

IN MEMORIAM
PROFESSOR #LOUISEWILSON
_

If there was one Teacher who had the most influence to bear on the yearly £26 billion and almost 800,000 jobs the British fashion world generates today, it was #LouiseWilson. Louise Wilson men tored a larger audience of eager designers and emerging talents, including #LFW Alex ander #McQueen, #Roks andaIlincic, #PhoebePhilo (creative direc tor at Céline), #JonathanSaunders, #SarahBur ton (creative direc tor of Alex ander @WorldMcQueen), #SimoneRocha, @Chris topherKaneStudio, #MariosSchwab, #PeterJensen, #RichardNicoll,#Chris topherShannon, #AlbertElbaz @Lanvinofficial or #ClareWaightKeller. To describe Professor #Wilson #OBE, who headed up the #MA #fashion course at #CentralSaintMartins and died last May, as an unsung hero would be misleading. She was as a dored by her many students and famous alumnae as she was feared. Beyond the classroom, but still within the fashion industry, her word was next to God’s: “I #fashion a fresh and young collection with a brilliant use of colour and textiles – great shoes and great styling.” Simple? Quite. Her exacting st andards, blithe adherence to the “ totally politically incorrect”, as her colleague Professor Jane Rapley, Professor Emerita at Central Saint Martins put it, and ability to be “spectacularly rude” were allied to an unerring eye for talent and a refusal to compromise. She dem anded the best of her students. The 52-year-old #RIP also worked as a design direc tor for #DonnaKaran @DKNYPRGirl in #NewYork between 1997 and 2002. In 2008, she received an #OBE for her services to fashion and to education. She carried with her the aura of a soprano, a magicienne, a witch in her ever black attires, and a feared mother. #LouiseWilson was to #designers what #LeeStrasberg was to #ac tors. A pillar. A prophet. Both.
_

#ALESSANDROBERGA | L’ÉDITOR
#LONDON #MODEDIPLOMATIQUE