GenQ - For the not so straight individual

By Oliver McCall ON the 8th of this month the British fashion industry lost one its most talented and influential members. A style icon, a muse, an artist with an unlimited enthusiasm for fashion; Isabella Blow was all of these, responsible for fostering the talent of numerous models and designers. The loss of this iconic figure and muse is made all the more tragic by the fact that she was only 48. Many of you may not know who she was, many of you might, but I just wanted to use this week's article to take a look at her contribution to fashion. According to several sources Isabella had been suffering from severe depression towards the end of her life, which had been brought on by a number of contributing factors. Her personal life was not easy, made worse by infertility and money problems. An article in the New York Times stated that Blow was also upset that she had been unable to "find a home in the world she influenced". She had been one of the architects behind the sale of Alexander McQueen's brand to the Gucci group but failed to secure a contract for herself, apparently being left behind by the designer who she had championed for so long. She had attempted suicide twice and in the Spring of this year was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, undergoing surgery to try and combat the disease. On the 6th of May Blow was discovered at a house party by one of her younger sisters. She was in a state of distress and was taken to hospital. After arriving at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital she revealed that she had ingested paraquat, a deadly herbicide. She died in the hospital. Her death came as a great shock to many of her colleagues, some of whom have commented that the week before she had come into the office bursting with ideas as usual. It had appeared as though nothing was wrong. However, several notable members of the fashion community have come forward to sing Blow's praises. Anna Wintour, Vogue editor-in-chief, called her a "free spirit", adding that "in a world thats largely driven by corporate culture she was a joy to have". Geordie Grieg, editor of Tatler, hailed her as one of the great figures of fashion of the 20th century. Reportedly influenced by the style of Nell Gwyn, mistress of Charles II, Blow's own dress sense was often flambouyant and and glamorous, making her one of the more innovative and recognisable figures in British fashion. With her trademark bright red lipstick and wonderous array of headgear she certainly cut a striking figure, allegedly wearing the elaborate hats as a means of keeping people away from her because she didn't want to be kissed by "all and sundry". The world renowned hat designer Philip Treacy created many weird masterpieces for Isabella, many of which were shown in an exhibition entitled "When Philip met Isabella". The hats became a real feature of Ms Blow's attire. Blow's career in fashion began in 1979, when she moved to New York City in order to study Ancient Chinese Art. A year later she left the course to work for fashion designer Guy Laroche in Texas. In 1981 she met the then fashion director of US Vogue, Anna Wintour, and was hired as her assistant. Soon she was assisting Andre Leon Talley, US Vogue editor-at-large. In this capacity she befriended Andy Warhol amongst others. In 1986 Isabella returned to England and took a job working with Michael Roberts, fashion director of Tatler and The Sunday Times Style magazine. Here she forged her most famous fashion relationship, with Philip Treacy, one of the world's foremost hat designers. Blow always had a great sense of style and a talent for spotting future trends, discovering several new talents such as Alexander McQueen who is now one of the world's most prominent designers. Following his graduation show Isabella purchased his entire graduate collection for £5000 and she wore only Alexander McQueen coats for years. Most recently Blow was the fashion director of lifestyle magazine Tatler but she was also a style consultant for DuPont Lycra, Lacoste and Swarovski, which she managed to transform with help from some of her designer contacts. She worked with some of the industry's best photographers to create innovative photoshoots. At British Vogue she produced such famous features as the "London Babes" shoot. I think Isabella Blow will be remembered as an innovator who championed some of the biggest talents in the British fashion industry today. She was a true great of British fashion, in some ways personifying the traditional eccentricity that is associated with this Country's styles. I'm sure that she will live on through her own work and through exhibitions in which she featured, which stand as a testament to her influence and impact. A true inspiration who battled with depression and illness and managed to change the fashion industry for ever by sharing her unique abilities to communicate the artistic side of it to everyone.