It must be hard to be an It-girl. The moment you put something on, someone else tries to rip it off. (They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.)
It used to be that the moment a trend hit mainstream retail, it would die faster than if it had been made in the third-world factory. Or rather, it didn't die. It festered on the sale racks, luring in its next deal-seeking prey.
Trends are like Ebola. They start on It-girls in urban streets and catwalks and spread outward, into the abyss of suburbia and farmland, where they find their final host organ: the chain store. They set up shop, multiply exponentially, and indiscriminately kill off as many fashion victims as possible.
It's not pretty, but, like natural selection, it's the only way for fashion and its icons to evolve.
There's one trend, however, that no matter how much it spreads, defies all scientific logic about the evolution of fashion: the British Invasion. Since the 1960s, it has come in waves, each time slightly different and each time taking the United States by storm.
First, in the '60s, there was British Rock & Roll: "The Beatles," "The Stones," "The Who" (and mod fashion). Then, in the '80s, there was British Punk ("The Clash") and "Power Pop" ("The Police," "The Cure") (punk fashion). Now, in the '00s, the influence of British style icons and fashion designers has crossed the Atlantic and made every female under 30 stop for a moment and contemplate what it might be like to be Sienna Miller or Kate Moss ... or at least, you know, kiss the ground they walk on.
Their influence has reached beyond the readership of US Weekly. London-born Vogue editor Anna Wintour as well as fashion-designer-turned-fashion-enterpriser Tom Ford (American and fabulous) and even the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have all caught on to the re-rise of the Brits. For one, this summer the Brits will hit the Met with the exhibit, "AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion," which will survey British fashion from 1976-2006.
Secondly, according to fashionweekdaily.com, the icy Anna "has a crush on British fashion."
"London has the most talented designers in the world," Wintour said, referencing artists such as Matthew Williamson, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood.
And thirdly, Tom Ford has decided to become the honorary chairman of "Fashion Fringe," an initiative to find new British designing talent. He explains, "There seems to be something in British culture that allows for a great deal of personal expression and eccentricity. In some cultures this eccentricity would be frowned upon but in Britain it is actually celebrated."
All of this is true. And this invasion, which has swept the nation, has influenced both high-end shoppers and the bargain hunters. The thing is, retail stores are getting smarter. Both H&M and Target have hired top designers to create "limited-edition" collections at a price college kids can appreciate. Karl Lagerfeld had a short stint at H&M (he may not be British, but he's brilliant) and currently Stella McCartney's small-scale line is selling so fast that H&M can't keep it in stock.
Isaac Mizrahi was one of the first big-name designers to create a low price-point collection for a large discount retail chain -- Isaac Mizrahi for Target. And just this year Target signed on British designer Luella Bartley, whose top-selling, low-priced designs put the British punk in plaid and preppy.
While Isaac may not be British, he's ballsy enough to squeeze Scarlett Johansson's boob on Oscar night. And basically the only reason we like the Brits (aside from that sexy accent) is because they exhibit rebellious, iconoclastic behavior that seems to get them farther in life than if they'd kept with the prim and proper stereotype of Anal-Retentive England.
Luella claims to design "the kind of clothes you can get drunk and fall over in." I'm not sure the Queen would approve. But apparently, her daughter, Princess Anne would. On April 12, Her Royal Highness was spotted visiting the mod London chain, Ben Sherman, a rather anti-establishment designer.
The birth of Britain's greatness, as far as the British Invasion is concerned, was the cultural revolution that began in the 1960s. And that rebellious state-of-mind was also distinctly American.
The continuation of the invasion is due, in large part, to the continuation of the rebellion. Twiggy, the "face" of London's Swinging Sixties, is still an inspiration for designers and style-makers alike. Her looks and style, similar in ways to Andy Warhol's muse, Edie Sedgwick, have remained iconic through the years. Sienna Miller, London's new It-girl, is known best for her boho-chic style and ex-engagement to cheating heart-throb Jude Law. But now, after starring as Edie Sedgwick in the upcoming flick, "Factory Girl," her style seems to have evolved into one which is more "mod" than "boho." And just as we noted, the transformation in her style is quickly taking shape in fans' wardrobes (noticed any skinny jeans and tunic-y tops walking around campus?).
London's most resilient It-girl, Kate Moss, seems to be able to withstand even the harshest of paparazzi scandal. After a year of almost losing every modeling contract she had because of photos taken of her blowing coke, Kate has had the comeback of a lifetime: signing a contract with Calvin Klein (the brand that made her famous) and recently voted best-dressed by Britain's Tatler Magazine.
In the December issue of French Vogue, Moss guest-edited a section about herself entitled, "Scandaleuse Beaut" (Scandalous Beauty). French Vogue creative director, Fabien Baron says, "We like Kate because there's an idea of danger about her." And Scandalous Beauty is what we, the people, like in a fashion icon, too. Sienna, albeit unintentionally, is wrought with scandal after Jude cheated on her with the nanny. And she's never caught on camera without a drink and cigarette in hand.
Everybody loves a Naomi Campbell scandal. The British beauty well-known for her fiery temper most recently made the news for bashing her housekeeper with a crystal-studded Blackberry because the maid couldn't find the supermodel's favorite jeans. Scandalous beauty or gorgeous assailant? Perhaps only time will tell.
As I said, it's tough to be an It-girl. Imagine if you got caught on tape with blow, your fianc cheated on you with the fat, ugly nanny, and -- OMG -- you couldn't find your favorite jeans. Clearly, it warrants a bash to the head with a bedazzled Blackberry. And it doesn't hurt to be British. As hard as they may try, La Lohan and Paris Hilton will never be as great as Kate. Scandalous they are. British they are not.
