All About Manchester

In a league of his own

He is known as the king of boho, so it's no surprise that fashion design superstar Matthew Williamson was born in Chorlton, Manchester - a city that has recently been crowned the most bohemian place in the UK. What is surprising is that Williamson has survived and thrived as an independent designer for ten years, lighting up the catwalk with his fabulous eclectic-ethnic style and winning a legion of A-list fans. This month, as an exhibition celebrating his work opens at Urbis, he tells All About Manchester he is treading in unchartered territory and loving it.

How important is the Matthew Williamson - 10 Years in Fashion exhibition for you and why?

It has been a fascinating experience to look back at all my output over the years whilst co-curating this exhibition. It is hard to believe that a whole decade has passed since my first collection, Electric Angels, was shown in London Fashion Week. I really wanted to celebrate the fact that we have come so far.

What do you hope people will learn from this exhibition?

I wanted to focus on showing people the designing process and how the use of pattern, print and colour has defined my work. The exhibition is centred around four main themes - colour, psychedelia, global extravaganza and lifestyle - and will feature iconic pieces from the past ten years. Most notably the red carpet dresses worn by Sienna Miller, Keira Knightley, Mischa Barton and Kylie Minogue will be on display.

Three specially commissioned films will map the process of designing a collection, and my sketchbook and pieces from my graduate collection will be on display. I wanted to communicate how I have worked since I was a student and show the progression from an initial inspiration for a print or design through to the finished piece that you see on the catwalk.

Matthew Williamson, All About Manchester

Looking back at your ten-year career in fashion, could you pick the three most important moves you've made?

The first has to be a cold call I made to Plum Sykes, then a fashion assistant at British Vogue. She loved the intricate, feminine bohemian manner of my designs, which stood out to her amongst the utilitarian, minimalist style that prevailed in 1997.

Spurred on by her enthusiasm, I created a small collection for London Fashion Week later that year. That show ended up a great success and despite Jade Jagger, Kate Moss, Helena Christensen and Diane Kruger all taking a turn down the catwalk, myself and my business partner Joseph Velosa were both shocked to see we made the front page of national newspapers the next day!

Although I have always loved the buzz of excitement surrounding London Fashion Week, we decided to show in New York for the first time in 2002. It was an important move forward and it has definitely increased the global awareness of the brand. We will be opening a store in Manhattan later this year.

Independent British designers tend to have very short career lifespans. Your contemporaries have either been bought out or gone bust. Did you ever think you would make it this far in the fashion business?

It has been pretty unchartered territory for a designer of my generation, so I am very proud of the fact we survived, and that I have always been true to my aesthetic. There have been highs and lows but, even now, I still wake up and feel inspired to come into work. I think my motto has always been 'You reap what you sow'.

Do you remember a specific moment when you just knew you were going to be a success?

The opening of my flagship store in Mayfair in 2004 was a defining moment for me, with Kelis coming to perform especially for the opening. The store was a real labour of love; I put my heart and soul into it and I'm happy to see it is still going strong four years later.

In the early years of your career you said your inspiration came from beach parties in India. How has your inspiration and style changed over the years?

My inspiration has always stemmed from my love of travel and this is still apparent in my collections today. I prefer places which have hot exotic cultures; I always take a camera and sketchbook with me as I love to capture images and memories from a trip.

The SS08 collection was based around the idea of a traveller girl who has picked up elements of different cultures and traditions from around the world and incorporated them into her own modern style.

You seem to be every famous girl's best friend. If you can think of one celebrity wearing one of your dresses who personifies your brand values, who is she and which dress is she wearing?

There is not one particular celebrity who completely typifies the brand, and I don't have a muse as such. My association with celebrities such as Sienna, Kylie and Keira has sometimes been viewed cynically, but these girls wear the dresses because they have an aesthetic affinity with them, not simply because they are my friends. I think the type of person who would wear my clothes can be defined more by their sense of freedom and individuality in the way they dress.

Where would you like the next ten years to take you?

I see the brand going from strength to strength, and in particular, establishing a much greater international presence. Apart from the new flagship store in New York, we're also unveiling a stand alone luxury accessories line from SS09. It is a very exciting time. After ten years, Matthew Williamson label is no longer in the 'young designer' camp and has now established itself as a highly aspirational luxury womenswear label. I have so many ambitions for the company, but those are the only ones I can reveal at this point. Watch this space!

You've lived in London for a very long time but is there anything about you now that marks you as Mancunian?

Although I am very much at home in Hampstead now, my Mancunian accent seems here to stay...

How often do you visit Manchester and what do you do when you are here?

All my family are still based in and around Manchester and I try to go up and visit them as much as possible. I am looking forward to spending some time up there before the exhibition opening in March.

Do you have any plans of opening a Matthew Williamson store in Manchester in the near future?

Manchester has always been seen as a very stylish city. There is real diversity within each area and the people have a very eccentric flair. It would be wonderful to see a store in my hometown.

Matthew Williamson - 10 Years in Fashion opens on March 27 at Urbis. For more information visit www.urbis.org.uk.

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