English Heritage Becomes Fashionable

Whoever said English tradition is frumpy and out of date, can rest assured our treasured heritage is making its way into high fashion. This is evident when no-one other than Miuccia Prada was inspired by the bold geometric designs of traditional mens-outfitters Holliday & Browne, and adapted the great prints for her collection.

Bill Amberg quickly followed suit, and is printing sixties Heal's fabric designs onto limited edition leather bags called Library Totes. It's a canny way for designers to tap into vintage without getting literal, treating reissue prints with fun rather than reverence.

At Burberry Prorsum, Chris Bailey has taken timeless English countryside scenes, as seen on a thousands headscarves, and subverted them. Look closely at the print mac... Among the ducks in the pond are Range Rovers and bespectacled matrons in quilted jack and sturdy boots. It's the new modern classic!

For a proper British classic look one could try Aquascutum or Gieves & Hawkes. Mind you, you can't get more British than wearing those wellies on a windy day in the countryside!