John Flett (fashion designer)

Last updated

John Flett
John Flett fashion designer.jpg
John Flett in 1988 photographed for Blitz magazine by Brad Branson and Fritz Kok
Born 28 September 1963 [1]
Brighton [2]
Died 19 January 1991(1991-01-19) (aged 27) [1]
Florence [1]
Occupation Fashion designer

John Flett (28 September 1963 – 19 January 1991) was a British fashion designer who achieved early success with his own brand before designing briefly for Claude Montana. He died of a heart attack at the age of 27, while working in Florence. [1] [3]

Claude Montana is a French fashion designer. His company, The House of Montana, founded in 1979, went bankrupt in 1997.

Florence Comune in Tuscany, Italy

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 383,084 inhabitants in 2013, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.

Contents

Sue Chowles, who had a work placement with Flett before working in fashion and later as a fashion academic, has said: "He would have been more influential than Galliano now...he was the most inspirational pattern cutter, a true genius". [4] The Independent included John Flett at number 17 in an article about 50 great British fashion moments, saying: "Flett's last collection in London was exquisite, watery, shimmery and full of ideas". [5]

<i>The Independent</i> British online daily newspaper

The Independent is a British online newspaper. Established in 1986 as a politically independent national morning newspaper published in London, it was controlled by Tony O'Reilly's Independent News & Media from 1997 until it was sold to Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev in 2010. The last printed edition of The Independent was published on Saturday 26 March 2016, leaving only its digital editions.

Early life

John Flett was from a Jewish background, according to his friend and former "soulmate" John Galliano – who has described Flett as: "the love of his life". [6] After studying fashion and textiles at West Sussex College of Design. He then moved on to Central Saint Martins (then St Martins), where he studied fashion under Sheilagh Brown. Brown would later say: "When John Flett came for his interview his work was incredible, one of the tutors said not to give him a place as he looked like trouble. I replied 'that kind of trouble I love'." [7]

John Charles Galliano is a Gibraltar-born British fashion designer who was the head designer of French fashion companies Givenchy, Christian Dior, and his own label John Galliano. At present, Galliano is the creative director of Paris-based fashion house Maison Margiela.

Northbrook College is a further education and higher education college with 3 campuses in Worthing and 1 nearby Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. It is also the principal provider of work-related further education in the Worthing area. In 2017 it merged with City College Brighton & Hove to create a unified college under the branding of Greater Brighton Metropolitan College (MET).

Central Saint Martins public tertiary art school in London, England

Central Saint Martins, often abbreviated to CSM, is a public tertiary art school in London, England. It is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. It offers full-time courses at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and a variety of short and summer courses.

At Central Saint Martins, Flett was part of a hothouse of talent – both in fashion and the London scene; his early 1980s peer group included not only Galliano, but also Stephen Jones, Darla Jane Gilroy, Sade and Chris Sullivan. [7]

Stephen Jones (milliner) leading British milliner, born 1957

Stephen Jones OBE is a leading British milliner based in London, who is considered one of the world's most radical and important milliners of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He is also one of the most prolific, having created hats for the catwalk shows of many leading couturiers and fashion designers, such as John Galliano at Dior and Vivienne Westwood. His work is known for its inventiveness and the high level of technical expertise with which he realises his ideas. Jones co-curated the 2009 exhibition Hats: An Anthology for the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Darla Jane Gilroy is a British academic and former fashion designer. She was also one of the four "Blitz kids" featured in David Mallet's iconic music video for David Bowie's 1980 number 1 hit Ashes to Ashes.

Sade (singer) English singer-songwriter

Helen Folasade Adu,, known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade, is a British Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress, known as the lead singer of her self-titled band.

Flett's work attracted attention and his graduation collection was bought by key names, including Joseph Ettedgui (head of the London-based Joseph retail empire) and by buyers for Bloomingdales in New York. [1]

Joseph Ettedgui British fashion designer (1936-2010)

Joseph Ettedgui (1936-2010), usually known simply as Joseph, was an influential London-based retailer and founder of the Joseph retail empire. After his death, the chair of the British Fashion Council Harold Tillman described him as: "a great designer, retailer and entrepreneur". Le Figaro fashion editor Godfrey Deeny has described him as: "one of the half dozen greatest fashion retailers in the past half-century".

Joseph is a fashion brand and retail chain that was established in London by Moroccan entrepreneur Joseph Ettedgui and his family in 1972.

Career

From 1985, Flett became a part of the London high-fashion scene, exhibiting at London Fashion Week and at New York and Paris fashion weeks. Menswear was introduced to his range in 1986 and in 1987 he added a diffusion (lower-priced) line. [1] By 1988, John Flett designs were available worldwide in 70 stores. [1]

London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London twice a year, in February and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with the New York, Milan and Paris.

Brand hallmarks

The Guardian described Flett's brand signature as distinctively different for the times: "Along with John Galliano, who was a [sic] schoolfriend, he pioneered a new type of bias-cutting technique which imbued garments with a special fluidity and grace". [8] :39

Kevin Almond has said: "much of Flett's skill was in his cutting, intricate and inventive, with which he developed clothes that seemed to cling to the body. In fact, many of his garments were difficult to understand on the hanger and needed to be worn to be appreciated". [1] [9] Sue Chowles, who worked with him on his spring/summer 1989 collection as an intern while studying at the Royal College of Art, has described his technique in more detail: "he never pattern cut his designs – instead he would drape the fabric and create the pattern on a mannequin". [10]

Not all his early catwalk collections attracted acclaim. Writing in The Times about his first show in spring 1988, Liz Smith said that he: "has to learn to polish his act". [11] But there was no doubt about his appeal to most of the British press and fashion buyers. An interview and double-page spread of photos of his collection in The Observer described his autumn 1988 catwalk show as: "triumphant". The interviewer said Flett's trademarks were about intricacy, involving clever draping on items such as a backless dress with no visible means of support. She described his finale outfit as: "a wondrous white creation that looked like a cross between a meringue and a crinkle-cut crisp". [2]

Later career and death

Despite the acclaim from both buyers and majority of the British fashion press, Flett was unable to sustain his business venture. [1] His business affairs were described as a "rocky road" and he parted company with his backers in 1988/9. [8] :39

He moved on to Paris to work for Claude Montana on the designer's debut collection for Lanvin. [8] :39 Flett relocated to Florence in 1990, where he worked for Italian designer Enrico Coveri on a menswear range (Coveri died in 1990). [1]

Flett's obituaries in both The Times and The Guardian noted that at the time of his death, aged 27, he was on the point of signing a contract with the Milan fashion house Zuccoli to create a womenswear collection and relaunch his career. [1] [8]

Related Research Articles

Raf Simons Belgian fashion designer

Raf Jan Simons is a Belgian fashion designer. Beginning in furniture design, he launched his own menswear label in 1995. In April 2012 he was announced as the creative director at Christian Dior. On October 22, 2015 he resigned from Christian Dior. From 2016 to 2018, Simons was the chief creative officer of Calvin Klein. Simons' first collections for the Klein label debuted for the Fall 2017 season.

TheFashion Awards is a ceremony held annually in the United Kingdom since 1989 to showcase both British and international individuals and businesses who have made the most outstanding contributions to the fashion industry during the year. The ceremony is organized by the British Fashion Council, and is the primary fundraiser for the BFC’s Education Foundation; a charity which promotes excellence in design by financially supporting students with the ability and potential to make an exceptional contribution to the fashion industry.

Gareth Pugh British fashion designer

Gareth Pugh is an English fashion designer. He currently lives and works in London.

Enrico Coveri was an Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur from Prato, Italy. A former model and stage designer, he founded the eponymous fashion house in Florence and was acclaimed for his creations ever since his first appearance on the catwalks of Milan and Paris in 1977.

Oscar Udeshi is a luxury menswear designer of Austrian and Zanzibar heritage.

Daniel Kearns is an Irish menswear designer with a master's degree in menswear from the Royal College of Art. He has held menswear designer positions at Emanuel Ungaro and John Galliano. From 2005-2010 he was Design Director of menswear at Alexander McQueen and from March 2011 he was the menswear Design Director at Yves Saint Laurent. Kearns has consulted for Zegna, Louis Vuitton and Roberto Cavalli, he was made Artistic Director of French Brand Faconnable in 2014. Kearns was appointed Creative Director of Kent & Curwen in 2016.

Crolla was a 1980s British high fashion brand and boutique founded by Scott Crolla and Georgina Godley in Mayfair's Dover Street. Always niche, it was influential for its juxtaposition of unusual and vintage fabrics and traditional tailoring. Describing the brand's signature at the time, Scott Crolla said: "My clothes are for someone who disregards fashion but enjoys fabrics… I would call it a calculated disregard for conventional taste." In the book London: After Fashion, Alistair O’Neill described the look as: “as odd a combination as Coward in Las Vegas, but it communicated a vision of Englishness just as brashly."

Sheridan Barnett is a British former fashion designer who worked with London boutique Quorum and launched the brand Barnett and Brown with Sheilagh Brown during the late 1970s. He went on to combine own-brand design with freelance work for names such as Jaeger, Norman Hartnell and Reldan, also working as a university academic. Barnett won Bath Museum of Costume's Dress of the Year award in 1983.

Niall McInerney is a fashion photographer, best known for his international catwalk photography.

Stirling Cooper was a London-based fashion wholesaler and retailer that, along with brands such as Biba, Quorum, Browns and Clobber, helped to redefine UK fashion in the late 1960s.

Fashion East is a non-profit designer support and showcasing scheme, a project established by the Old Truman Brewery and Lulu Kennedy MBE in 2000. Designers can apply for support across three different programmes. Each programme offers fashion week showcasing opportunities, business mentoring & financial sponsorship for menswear and womenswear designers. Designers are selected by Lulu Kennedy and a panel of industry people.

Maison Margiela

Maison Margiela, formerly Maison Martin Margiela, is a French luxury fashion house headquartered in Paris and founded in 1988 by Belgian designer Martin Margiela. The house produces both haute couture-inspired artisanal collections and ready-to-wear collections, with the former influencing the designs of the latter. Product lines include womenswear, menswear, fine jewelry, footwear, objects, fragrance, and home goods, among others. Known for deconstructive and avant-garde designs with unconventional materials, Maison Margiela has traditionally held live shows in unusual settings, for example empty metro stations and street corners. Models' faces are often obscured by fabric or long hair to direct attention to the clothes and design. With Maison Martin Margiela going public in 2002, Margiela resigned as creative designer in 2009 and John Galliano was appointed to the role in 2014. The company has collaborated on displays and designs with Barneys New York, Converse, G-Shock Opening Ceremony, Hermès, H&M, L’Oreal, and Swarovski.

Lachasse was a British couture firm operating from 1928 until 2006, making it one of the longest surviving high fashion houses in London.

Workers for Freedom was a British fashion label that was launched in 1985 by Graham Fraser and Richard Nott. The brand was awarded Designer of the Year in 1989 at the British Fashion Awards.

Sheilagh Brown is a British fashion designer who began her career in the 1960s, as part of the Swinging London scene. She was among the designers for Stirling Cooper, working subsequently at Coopers and Quorum, before establishing the label Barnett and Brown with Sheridan Barnett.

Christopher Nemeth

Christopher Nemeth was a British fashion designer who became established in London in the 1980s, before relocating to Tokyo in 1986. He was particularly renowned for his wearable art designs.

Craig Green is a British fashion designer specialising in menswear.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "John Flett". The Times (63922). 23 January 1991.
  2. 1 2 Jeal, Nicola (23 October 1988). "Fantasies from Flett. Rising Star: bagged shirts and baked organza – a young success tells all". The Observer.
  3. Almond, Kevin. "John Flett". Fashion Encyclopedia. Fashion Encyclopedia. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  4. "Course Leader Q&A". nua.ac.uk. Norwich University of the Arts. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  5. Harden, Rosemary; Blanchard, Tamsin; Armstrong, Lisa; Moore, Chris; Glenville, Tony; Wood, Holly (19 September 1998). "50 Great British Fashion Moments". The Independent. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  6. Sischy, Ingrid (July 2013). "Galliano in the Wilderness". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  7. 1 2 Brown, Sheilagh. "Sheilagh Brown and Sheridan Barnett". Very Magazine (15). Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Bowen, Kim (25 January 1991). "A ragtrade designer star". The Guardian.
  9. Almond, Kevin. "John Flett". Fashion Encyclopedia. Fashion Encyclopedia. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  10. "Norwich designers have a lot to shout about". Norwich Evening News. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. Smith, Liz (12 March 1988). "Showing Style to Win Exports". The Times.