The idea formed out of the depths of despair at Trump being elected and Brexit coming,” “I was really worried about the future of young designers, because if there isn’t a new generation, then there won’t be a fashion industry. I’m so interested in what’s coming next as a journalist, I can’t bear the thought of not knowing what will happen.”
The month-long pop-up will see her chosen brands – “seven because the budget allowed seven collections to be bought, not just shown” – sit in the West Gallery, before moving onto the main floor, with the Liberty London team mentoring the designers on the logistics of production and wholesale along the way.
But, she added, “The truth is that I just enjoy getting to know designers and hearing what they believe in. 10 years ago, elders were preaching to young designers about sustainability and now I feel that they have it in their bones. Each one of the chosen seven has ethical production as their bottom line. They know the industry needs to mend its ways and find new ways of doing things. Richard Malone, for example, employs weavers abroad, who would otherwise not be able to afford to send their children to school. It’s extraordinary, but he doesn’t force that story upon you.”
For now, she said, it's the buzz of discovering the next bright young thing that keeps her going: “I’m really only in it for the chills! After 30 years, there are still incredible things that I haven’t seen before, and that’s the essence of great fashion to me. I’m just happy if I can help influence that world, which will in turn help influence the bigger world.”
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