Meta: The UK is home to some inspired designers and some of the most exciting and beloved fashion brands worldwide. Let’s see which are the most popular UK brands.
The United Kingdom is famous for many things: Queen Elizabeth Regina, Big Ben, a stiff upper lip, the Beatles, Paddington Bear, tea, Mary Poppins, fish and chips and the Spice Girls. It is also known as one of the greatest producers of exciting fashion and fashion talent the world over; designers and brands like Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Simone Rocha, to name but a few. Women’s Ted Baker jackets rub shoulders with Paul Smith polos and Burberry trenches in the most curated wardrobes. Fast fashion brands like Zara, Primark and Boohoo fill the gaps with basics like tees and joggers. In a nation full of fashion lovers, though, what brands are really bringing home the bacon and becoming the most beloved household names in current UK fashion? Who are the designers and brands stepping up to take their rightful places among the giants of fashion like Mary Quant and Jimmy Choo? Let’s take a look.
Burberry
Burberry is all things classic British luxury; well tailored and not overly flashy, lined with that heritage check we all know and love. Put together but not stuffy, fresh and crisp but never boring, Burberry has been turning heads since 1859. With the invention of their water-repelling gabardine fabric, Burberry cemented itself into fashion history and became the most well-known maker of trench coats in fashion history. Made famous by that signature trench coat, Burberry will probably make every list of the most renowned or most popular UK fashion brands from now until the end of time.
The Vampire’s Wife
Born from the mind of former model and now designer Susie Cave, the Vampire’s Wife brings gothic fashion into contemporary culture in an unexpected and lighthearted way. While this brand’s name might sound like the first novel in a set of Young Adult fantasy fiction, it is, in fact, an indication of the whimsy that the brand brings to all its designs. The brand is known for its incongruous drama: floor-length gauzy gowns, lame ruffles and Florence Welch-worthy frills and florals abound. This is a brand for those who believe that any occasion can be made better by an exciting dress.
Alexa Chung
Darling of the UK fashion tabloids and beloved across the world for her preppy yet edgy style, Alexa Chung, has officially transitioned into a fashion design threat. The fashion it-girl turned designer has made her mark as a sophisticated voice in the UK fashion scene. Her self-titled label debuted in 2017 after her collaborations with a number of high-class fashion brands (Sezane, Mulberry and Longchamp, to name a few) were met with unqualified approval by the fashion lovers of the world. Enormous pussybows, sharply tailored blazers, and sleek minis worthy of Chung’s own wardrobe are now wardrobe staples for many British fashionistas.
Simone Rocha
If you’ve seen that freshwater pearl-shaped pearloid bag on the arms of the most stylish influencers and wondered who made that divine thing, now you know; it was Simone Rocha. Since 2010, this Irish designer with a touch of Chinese heritage has had an exciting sense of style that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Rocha comes at fashion with a unique take on garment shapes and sizing, as well as an artistic eye for the perfect accessory for every outfit. Her collaboration with H&M broke her open to the fast fashion public, and since then, she’s been on a wild ride that is taking her higher and higher through the echelons of the fashion elite.
Victoria Beckham
When Posh Spice married David Beckham, we thought that the world’s collective consciousness was going to implode from the sheer force of two such enormous star powers joining hands. When Posh (Victoria, never Vicky) made her first foray into fashion, no one could have predicted that her designs would go on to attain such an incredible level of UK and worldwide success so quickly. Victoria has a romantic yet chic and sexy touch that turns any garment she makes into gold, and the British public is here for every minute of it.Paul Smith
Last but never least, we have Paul Smith. His yen for well-tailored and perfectly fitted garments came when he worked at Savile Row in the 1970s. Smith’s menswear is always tidy but never frumpy, always presentable but never stale. His signature stripe is the easiest way to pick out a Paul Smith shirt, that and the crisp collar that usually goes along with it. His “classics with a twist” have adorned British men for decades, and they’re showing no signs of tiring out any time soon.
Wrap Up
These brands represent the top of the pops of UK fashion brands and are beloved not only by UK citizens but those who also love good fashion all over the world.
