“I like the clothes that you wear”
In a feature titled “Who’s the best-dressed Briton in history? ”, the October issue of BBC History Magazine has asked 10 fashion experts to select the men and women they believe have dominated the world of fashion over the centuries, stretching all the way back to Henry III (1207–72).
Chosen by English designer Wayne Hemingway, David Bowie is the only living person among the ten nominations. Mr Hemmingway has nailed his colours high to the Bowie mast over the years, and he makes a compelling case for DB in the magazine, from where, this edited extract.
“I saw David Bowie for the first time on the 1973 Aladdin Sane tour when I was nearly 13: I left the gig utterly blown away by his music and style. Bowie changed youth culture, and had a gift for predicting and anticipating fashion trends, always doing his own thing. His clothes, including the huge-legged striped bodysuit designed by Kansai Yamamoto, were works of art that were the result of his vision and creativity, and as memorable as his music.”
With a little over a week to go, the voting currently stands thus…
Anne Messel = 8%
Queen Alexandra = 11%
David Bowie = 25%
Henry III = 4%
Georgiana Cavendish = 14%
‘Beau’ Brummell = 12%
Charles James Fox = 2%
Elizabeth I = 19%
Ellen Terry = 3%
Samuel Pepys = 2%
Bowie is in the lead with a healthy quarter of the votes cast. But who do you think is the best-dressed Briton in history? Cast your vote here.
History magazine will announce the name of the individual who receives the most votes on October 15th.
You can read that Wayne Hemingway piece and the nominations in full in the October issue of BBC History Magazine.