Interview British Fashion Council’s communications mastermind, Clara Mercer
Her role sees her wear many hats, from creative director and curatorial advisor to brand manager, at the same time as masterminding digital strategy and innovation. She also plans major events and programmes, including London Fashion Week (LFW), which celebrates 40 years this year.
As the great LFW machine fires up for its next outing this week, Mercer took time out of her hectic schedule to tell us about how it is evolving, her own fashion inspirations and how the art and fashion worlds are constantly intertwined.
THE WICK:
As someone who is immersed in the fashion industry, where do you look for your own wardrobe inspiration?
Clara Mercer:
My style is changeable and depends on my mood. I don’t buy much but I buy well and constantly rediscover things in my wardrobe. I am lucky to see amazing collections and attend the shows at LFW, so I am inspired by the designers who constantly innovate as well as style icons, and people in the street. I also have stylish friends who keep me on my toes.
TW:
Which innovation are you most excited about at London Fashion Week this year?
CM:
This year we will see an evolution of LFW. In June, we will be redefining menswear and creating a curated schedule of 40 moments, with the format being specific to the designer or brand taking part. We hope that it will be a unique experience for individuals from around the world to experience London. More to follow…
TW:
You studied an art foundation course at Wimbledon School of Art followed by Fashion Marketing at Northumbria. How have you seen the worlds of fashion and art converge over the years?
CM:
As we celebrate 40 years of LFW, we have been looking at the archives and the role that fashion plays at the intersection of culture. Fashion designers are inspired by so many things and the cultural references that they pick up on often challenge the status quo and give us an insight into the future. This came to life at the recent BFC NEWGEN exhibition, REBEL: 30 years of London Fashion, sponsored by Alexander McQueen, that has just closed at the Design Museum and was visited by over 10 thousand students, inspiring the next generation.
If you look at the archive of the past 40 years of London Fashion Week, creativity is the superpower and collaboration sits at the heart of this – from inspiration to craftsmanship to muses and icons. Fashion and art have a long history of converging and in some ways that is where the excitement happens. On Wednesday we will launch the LFW40 Love Letter to London, written by the musician Femi Koleoso of Ezra Collective, which is a great example of this.
TW:
If you could own any museum painting or artwork, which would it be and why?
CM:
I have been thinking a lot about Degas’ ballerinas recently. Colourful bows against tulle tutus – heaven!
“Our role is to convene the industry to build an ecosystem that will bolster the next generation of talent to strengthen UK creativity.”
