Luella Bartley
Encyclopedia
Luella Dayrell Bartley MBE
is an English fashion designer, magazine editor and former journalist
based in the UK.
A onetime journalist and fashion editor of British Vogue and Canada's Evening Standard newspaper, Luella Bartley first attended the prestigious further education arts college, Warwickshire School of Arts, before gaining a place at the world famous Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
and launched her eponymous fashion label "Luella" in 1999 with a collection entitled "Daddy, I want a Pony" at a friend's (Steve Mackay - bassist from Pulp) apartment. Bartley is a former roommate of artists Justine Frischmann
and Mathangi Arulpragasam (M.I.A.). A year after her first showcase, she was awarded Britain's Young Designer of the Year award. Her designs often draw influence from the British music scene
and have been acclaimed for her quirky, punk
inspired, often distinctly English style. Her LFW debut in February 2000 was the show "Daddy, who were the Clash?"
In 2002, the "Gisele" bag she designed from the best selling "Luella for Mulberry" edition was an instant success and revived the ailing Mulberry
brand. This, in turn led to Club21, the Singapore
-based retail group, investing in a global licensing agreement for Luella Bartley ready-to-wear and accessories.
In January 2006, Bartley was selected to launch Target's Go International
line.
She has showcased her work several times during London Fashion Week
. She returned to London for Spring/Summer 2007, after six and a half years based in New York and previously Milan fashion weeks. During the same week she opened her first store, on London's Brook Street
.
In 2008, she launched a limited edition bag collection "Friends of Luella" in Hong Kong
. Later that year, the British Fashion Council named Luella 'Designer of the Year', having been nominated previously for two consecutive years. Following on from this prestigious accolade, Luella was privileged enough to achieve wider recognition and be crowned ‘International Designer of the Year’ by Elle Sweden in January 2009.
Wearers of her designs have included Kate Nash
, Kelly Osbourne
, Lily Allen
, Amy Winehouse
, Gwyneth Paltrow
, Sienna Miller
, Mischa Barton
, Chloe Sevigny
, Keira Knightley
, Foxy Brown, Christina Aguilera
, Reese Witherspoon
, Cate Blanchett
, Kate Bosworth
, Alexa Chung
, Pixie Geldof
, Zooey Deschanel
, and HRH Princess Beatrice
and HRH Princess Eugenie
.
Bartley was announced to design the Liberty Christmas decor. Despite this, on 10 November 2009, it was reported that Luella had ceased trading.
Bartley currently lives in Cornwall
with her partner, fashion photographer David Sims, and their children Kip, Stevie and Ned.
She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
is an English fashion designer, magazine editor and former journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
based in the UK.
A onetime journalist and fashion editor of British Vogue and Canada's Evening Standard newspaper, Luella Bartley first attended the prestigious further education arts college, Warwickshire School of Arts, before gaining a place at the world famous Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
and launched her eponymous fashion label "Luella" in 1999 with a collection entitled "Daddy, I want a Pony" at a friend's (Steve Mackay - bassist from Pulp) apartment. Bartley is a former roommate of artists Justine Frischmann
Justine Frischmann
Justine Elinor Frischmann is an English singer and guitarist, best known for being the lead singer of the now defunct band Elastica...
and Mathangi Arulpragasam (M.I.A.). A year after her first showcase, she was awarded Britain's Young Designer of the Year award. Her designs often draw influence from the British music scene
British music
British music could refer to:* Music of the United Kingdom* English music* Irish music* Scottish music* Welsh music* Celtic music...
and have been acclaimed for her quirky, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
inspired, often distinctly English style. Her LFW debut in February 2000 was the show "Daddy, who were the Clash?"
In 2002, the "Gisele" bag she designed from the best selling "Luella for Mulberry" edition was an instant success and revived the ailing Mulberry
Mulberry (company)
Mulberry is a British fashion company known for its luxury leather goods.-Background:The company was founded in 1971 by Roger Saul and his mother Joan—in 1973 they opened a factory in Chilcompton, Somerset, England. Mulberry established itself as a British lifestyle brand, noted for its leather...
brand. This, in turn led to Club21, the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
-based retail group, investing in a global licensing agreement for Luella Bartley ready-to-wear and accessories.
In January 2006, Bartley was selected to launch Target's Go International
Go International
Go International is a Target Corporation store brand that focuses on affordable apparel and accessories for women. Each season is created by a different designer who is already well known for their high-end collections and is only available for 90 days from its release.-Designers:*Fiorucci *Luella...
line.
She has showcased her work several times during London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week is an apparel trade show held in London, England twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.-Organization:...
. She returned to London for Spring/Summer 2007, after six and a half years based in New York and previously Milan fashion weeks. During the same week she opened her first store, on London's Brook Street
Brook Street
Brook Street is one of the principal streets on the Grosvenor Estate in the exclusive central London district of Mayfair. It was developed in the first half of the 18th century and runs from Hanover Square to Grosvenor Square. The continuation from Grosvenor Square to Park Lane is called Upper...
.
In 2008, she launched a limited edition bag collection "Friends of Luella" in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Later that year, the British Fashion Council named Luella 'Designer of the Year', having been nominated previously for two consecutive years. Following on from this prestigious accolade, Luella was privileged enough to achieve wider recognition and be crowned ‘International Designer of the Year’ by Elle Sweden in January 2009.
Wearers of her designs have included Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
, Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne is an English media personality, television personality, host, judge, fashion designer, singer, and actress, best known for being the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne...
, Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
, Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
, Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
, Sienna Miller
Sienna Miller
Sienna Rose Diana Miller is a British-American actress, model, and fashion designer, best known for her roles in Layer Cake, Alfie, Factory Girl, The Edge of Love and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. In 2007, the London Film Criticsnamed her British Actress of the Year for Interview...
, Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
, Chloe Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
, Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
, Foxy Brown, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
, Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
, Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
, Alexa Chung
Alexa Chung
Alexa Chung is an English television presenter, model and contributing editor at British Vogue.She currently hosts Gonzo with Alexa Chung for MTV UK, and is scheduled to host Thrift America for PBS in 2011...
, Pixie Geldof
Pixie Geldof
Little Pixie Geldof is a British model and socialite, most recently modelling for Debenhams.She is the youngest daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates. Her sisters are Fifi Trixibelle Geldof and Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof...
, Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous...
, and HRH Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice of York is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York...
and HRH Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie of York
Princess Eugenie of York Eugenie Victoria Helena; born 23 March 1990) is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York...
.
Bartley was announced to design the Liberty Christmas decor. Despite this, on 10 November 2009, it was reported that Luella had ceased trading.
Bartley currently lives in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
with her partner, fashion photographer David Sims, and their children Kip, Stevie and Ned.
She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.
Luella's Guide to English Style
Bartley's book 'Luella's Guide to English Style' was released in October 2010.Further reading
- Luella's Guide to English Style Fourth Estate, Harper Collins (Oct 2010)
- Bartley, All dressaged up - Profiles, People - The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
- Designer Bio at Teen Vogue.com