Kim West
Encyclopedia
Kim West is a cult British
fashion designer working mostly in latex
. She was one of the first designers to bring latex into mainstream fashion.
, Samantha Fox
and Tony James
, but she wanted to reach ordinary women. In 1986 her latex cowgirl dress made the front cover of the Telegraph magazine. However, the association of latex with fetish
was too much for many of the Telegraph's readers and the cover prompted a flurry of complaints. A later photoshoot for the Tatler even prompted a complaint from Cardinal Basil Hume.
In 1987 West opened her first shop in Kensington Market
. By then her clothes were appearing regularly in publications such as ID, 19, Company, Sky Magazine, Honey, Sunday Mirror Magazine. Although gaining acceptability, latex was still controversial enough to warrant comments in the press "Kim has even sold an outfit to Kylie 'pure-as-the-driven-snow' Minogue". The battle to get into the mainstream was helped when designs were worn by establishment celebrities such as Janet Street-Porter
, swimmer Sharron Davies
, Helena Bonham Carter
, and Isabella Rossellini
. They were seen in films such as Mona Lisa
. Oscar winning costume designer Sandy Powell
used her clothes for avant garde dance group: the Cholmondeleys and Featherstonehaughs.
She was the first designer to print onto latex, an expensive and difficult process due to the elasticity of rubber.
In 1988 she went into partnership with Jessamy Calkin opening the shop Heels of London selling shoes to the likes of Madonna
. She also made clothes for designer Vivienne Westwood
.
with her filmmaker husband Adam Boome where they had two children. They returned to London in 2000.
In 1992 West was asked by Jonathan Ross
in a television interview if women would be wearing latex to the supermarket by the time she was 60, she replied confidently "Absolutely". She remains the only designer to be making predominantly latex clothing which can be worn in everyday situations.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
fashion designer working mostly in latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
. She was one of the first designers to bring latex into mainstream fashion.
Early life
Although having no formal training in fashion, West had designed clothes for herself from an early age. When she made a dress out of latex in 1984, it received so much attention that she began making it for others.Fashion
Her designs found early success with such notables as Adam AntAdam Ant
Adam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
, Samantha Fox
Samantha Fox
Samantha Karen "Sam" Fox is an English dance-pop singer, actress, and former glamour model. In 1983, at the age of 16, she began her topless modeling career on Page Three of The Sun, and went on to become a popular pin-up girl...
and Tony James
Tony James
Tony James is a British musician, best known as a bassist of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.- Career :He was originally a member of the punk band London SS, along with Brian James, , and Mick Jones plus Terry Chimes .Later, James joined the early punk band Chelsea...
, but she wanted to reach ordinary women. In 1986 her latex cowgirl dress made the front cover of the Telegraph magazine. However, the association of latex with fetish
Fetish
Fetish may refer to:* Fetishism, the attribution of religious or mystical qualities to inanimate objects* Sexual fetishism, sexual attraction to objects, body parts, or situations not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature....
was too much for many of the Telegraph's readers and the cover prompted a flurry of complaints. A later photoshoot for the Tatler even prompted a complaint from Cardinal Basil Hume.
In 1987 West opened her first shop in Kensington Market
Kensington Market, London
Kensington Market was a three storey indoor market at 49 Kensington High Street, in the Kensington area of London, England.In the 1960s and 1970s, it catered to hippie and bohemian culture...
. By then her clothes were appearing regularly in publications such as ID, 19, Company, Sky Magazine, Honey, Sunday Mirror Magazine. Although gaining acceptability, latex was still controversial enough to warrant comments in the press "Kim has even sold an outfit to Kylie 'pure-as-the-driven-snow' Minogue". The battle to get into the mainstream was helped when designs were worn by establishment celebrities such as Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter
Janet Street-Porter is a British media personality, journalist and television presenter. She was editor for two years of The Independent on Sunday. She relinquished the job to become editor-at-large in 2002...
, swimmer Sharron Davies
Sharron Davies
Sharron Elizabeth Davies MBE is a retired swimmer from the United Kingdom. She won a silver medal in the 400 metre individual medley at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and two gold medals at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton...
, Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
, and Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
. They were seen in films such as Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa (film)
Mona Lisa is a 1986 British film about a petty criminal who becomes entangled in the dangerous life of a high-class call girl. The movie was written by Neil Jordan and David Leland, and directed by Jordan. It was produced by George Harrison's HandMade Films...
. Oscar winning costume designer Sandy Powell
Sandy Powell (costume designer)
Sandy Powell OBE is a British costume designer who has been nominated nine times for the Academy Award . She won the Oscar in 1999 for the film Shakespeare in Love, in 2005 for The Aviator, and in 2010 for The Young Victoria. She has received nine BAFTA nominations, winning in 1999 for Velvet...
used her clothes for avant garde dance group: the Cholmondeleys and Featherstonehaughs.
She was the first designer to print onto latex, an expensive and difficult process due to the elasticity of rubber.
In 1988 she went into partnership with Jessamy Calkin opening the shop Heels of London selling shoes to the likes of Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
. She also made clothes for designer Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
.
Television
In 1992 West closed down Kim West Clothing in order to make a controversial documentary for Channel 4. The Sex Hunters depicted the "new lad" in a way which had never been seen on television. The subject of the documentary was quoted as saying: "In the weeks before the documentary I began to get worried we were going to get lynched... The day after [transmission] we went to London, the reaction was just incredible, people were stopping us in the street."Personal life
In 1994 West moved to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with her filmmaker husband Adam Boome where they had two children. They returned to London in 2000.
Re-launch
In 2009 Kim West Clothing was re-launched on the internet. By this time latex was more acceptable and prompted no complaints when the story was picked up by the Telegraph: "THE LATEX NEWS Twenty-five years after she pioneered the idea, Kim West is launching a new collection of latex clothing for the discerning female.”"In 1992 West was asked by Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
in a television interview if women would be wearing latex to the supermarket by the time she was 60, she replied confidently "Absolutely". She remains the only designer to be making predominantly latex clothing which can be worn in everyday situations.