Fashion Blows: Celebrating Isabella Blow

 Last week, I attended the Fashion Blows Exhibition that featured the style and fashion of the late Isabella Blow at The Room at Hudson Bay's flagship Store, here in Toronto. Isabella Blow was an eccentric British stylist and Fashion Editor that was famous for her androgynous fashion style. Isabella was the original Lady Gaga of fashion, so eccentric that she could beat any of the famous fashion ladies photographed for the Street Style section during Fashion Week. Isabella wore mostly clothes designed by her close fashion friends, the late Alexander McQueen and British milliner, Philip Treacy. Isabella apparently discovered both Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy while they were still students at the Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Art respectively. 

Ever since her suicide in May 2007, we miss Isabella in the fashion world right now because she presented us with her original style, showing us truly who she was and never copied anyone just to be noticed.  Her close and dear friend Daphne Guinness, purchased most of Isabella's fashion collection when it was auctioned in 2010 at Christie's. Daphne then formed the Isabella Blow Foundation to preserve the memory of Isabella and to celebrate her life. Isabella is truly a style icon and an original.

 

 Isabella was a working girl. She was a magazine editor at the Tatler and Sunday Times. Isabella also  discovered models Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant.
Discovering people is a big thing. It's like being a mother.
- Isabella Blow

Most of the hats in this show were designed by British Milliner Philip Treacy.

Philip Treacy likened their very close friendship to like having an affair with no sex.

  

 This dress was designed with Teddy Bears.

I truly enjoyed this exhibition because it was very original, funky, eccentric, and stylish at the same time. Up close, I saw these clothes and hats were truly well made. These clothes and hats were perfectly made for Isabella and she wore these clothes and hats to perfection. 

 And then she met Lee, as in the late British fashion designer, Alexander McQueen. When she first saw Alexander McQueen's graduation fashion collection at Central Saint Martins, she immediately purchased the whole collection for her to wear.  

 Clothes designed by the late Alexander McQueen and hats designed by Philip Treacy.
I wear the hats, to keep everyone away from me. They say, 'Oh, can I kiss you?' I say, 'No, thank you very much...' I don't want to be kissed by all the sundry. I want to be kissed by the people I love.
- Isabella Blow.

 Isabella also wore clothes designed by British designer, Gareth Pugh.

Daphne Guinness, also a fashion style icon, purchased Isabella Blow's whole fashion collection and formed the Isabella Blow Foundation in support of emerging fashion talent. This Exhibit in Toronto had a fundraising Dinner last October 22nd to raise funds in support of  talented Canadians to study in the MA Fashion Program at Central Saint Martins in London. 

View the Access Daphne Guinness feature at The Coveteur.

Read the Toronto Star feature on Fashion Blows.


I couldn't take my eyes of her. After the service, I waited for an opportunity to speak to her - and we immediately connected...I knew I had fallen in love with her.
- Detmar Blow, Isabella's husband