Matthew Williamson - Career

Career

Graduating from Central St Martin's in June 1994 with a BA in Fashion Design and Printed Textiles, his first job following graduation was a freelance design project with Marni. Williamson was then employed by British fashion companies Monsoon and Accessorize.

The luxury fashion house, Matthew Williamson, was founded in February 1997 by Williamson (designer) and Joseph Velosa (CEO). In September 1997, Williamson showed his infamous debut collection, 'Electric Angels', during London Fashion Week. Bias-cut dresses and separates in exotic shades of tangerine, fuchsia and magenta were worn by models Kate Moss, Helena Christensen and Jade Jagger. This peculiar collection of bright, intricately detailed pieces defined and set the pace for the highly recognisable Matthew Williamson signature aesthetic.

Following this initial show, Williamson's collections have continued to cement his reputation as a designer. In February 2002, he showed for the first time during New York Fashion Week which expanded his opportunities and audience.

The award-winning Matthew Williamson flagship store opened at 28 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London, in March 2004.

In 2005, he launched his own perfume range and in 2006 took over as Creative Director at LVMH owned Italian house, Emilio Pucci, whilst continuing at the design helm of his namesake company. In 2007, a runway show of his designs was incorporated into the video for Prince's song "Chelsea Rodgers" from his Planet Earth album. In August 2007, TSM Capital acquired an equity stake in Matthew Williamson Holdings Ltd. Baugur Group, which invested in the company in 2006, maintains a significant equity interest in the business. TSM Capital made the investment in collaboration with the Aronsson Group. Combined, Matthew Williamson and Joseph Velosa, the company's founders, retain the majority stake in the company. In September 2007, Matthew Williamson was invited to celebrate the label's 10th year anniversary by returning to London fashion week for an anniversary show which included an exclusive performance by artist, Prince. An exhibition dedicated to his retrospective titled, "Matthew Williamson – 10 Years in Fashion" was also held at the Design Museum, London.

Matthew Williamson won the Red Carpet Designer of the Year at the 2008 British Fashion Awards; previously having been awarded Elle Designer of the Year in 2004 and the 2005 Moet and Chandon Fashion Tribute Award. He has also been nominated 3 times for Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. In September 2008 Matthew Williamson returned to London full-time in order to focus fully on his own label's forthcoming ventures and expansion. He made a guest appearance on season 7 of Project Runway. The episode aired on 28 January 2010.

In 2009, Matthew Williamson opened its first US flagship store in New York, accompanied by a further stand alone retail store in the Dubai Mall, Dubai. This was closely followed by the launch of online stores for the UK, Europe and US. In 2009, Williamson cooperated with Swedish clothing company H&M. His collection for men and women, which launched on 23 April included his first venture into the menswear market. In September 2009, Matthew Williamson was invited by the British Fashion Council to return to celebrate London Fashion Week's 25th anniversary.

In October 2010 it was announced that Matthew Williamson signed a new licensing deal with MBFG. The deal began a new, younger, diffusion line - Muse by Matthew Williamson. The new line is expected to be in stores for Fall 2011.