Williamson Celebrations

Williamson Celebrations

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON is celebrating his 15th anniversary in fashion this year - and to celebrate he'll be sharing his 15 favourite looks from his past collections every day with us, up until his next show next month. To start the proceedings, the British designer, who will this season show at the Royal Opera House, has chosen a look from his first ever collection - his spring/summer 2008 Electric Angels show - a cobweb dress, modelled by Helena Christensen."This was one of my favourite pieces from my first ever show in 1997," he said. "Only last month Poppy Delevingne wore this dress to an event and it was so lovely to see it being worn again 15 years on. Somehow the dress hasn't dated and it looked surprisingly fresh and modern."

The Manchester-born Central Saint Martins graduate worked for Monsoon and Accessorize before launching his own label with business partner Joseph Velosa in 1997. His first show was modelled by a host of the fashion industry's most sought-after models, from Kate Moss to Helena Christensen, catapulting him into fashion stardom. Known for his feminine, bright aesthetic, Williamson fast gained a reputation as an industry heavyweight, with his designs being worn by the world's most beautiful stars, from Sienna Miller to Beyoncé Knowles.

"Women love wearing Matthew's clothes, ultimately because Matthew loves women," wrote Sienna Miller in his book, Matthew Williamson, which launched in 2010. "There is nothing contrived or pretentious about what he creates. When I step into one of Matthew's dresses, I feel like I am stepping into his world, which is colourful, ethereal and dreamlike. His clothes are more than garments, they are magical, mood-enhancing creations and that is an absolute testament to the man designing them."

"In the history of Matthew Williamson, I am pleased to note that Vogue played a pivotal role in those early days, when Matthew first appeared in the offices with a bag full of dresses," added Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman. "Attention was instantly paid to this pixie-like Mancunian talent and personal orders were speedily made. With his shimmering fabrics, feminine cuts, sexy silhouettes and party queen sass, those early clothes were original yet accessible. Here was a designer who seemed to know how girls wanted to look - especially girls who wanted to have fun."