Sometimes, they say that a person has a natural talent for a certain type of activity. Apparently, the same can be said about the outstanding designer from London, Tom Gilbey. His works became world-famous. His career was interesting and full of various images. How did the fashion designer succeed in this sphere? What was his personal and professional life? What are the main features of Tom Gilbey’s designs? Learn more at londonka.
Childhood and the first steps in the fashion industry
Tom Gilbey was born in London on May 19, 1938. The boy’s childhood wasn’t cloudless. First, he was born when the whole world was in anticipation of war. And people’s fears weren’t unfounded. A few years later, London started to suffer from shelling. Secondly, the boy’s family didn’t belong to the upper class of society. He grew up in a family of ordinary workers. Moreover, Tom Gilbey wasn’t fond of studying. Therefore, the boy left school at the age of fifteen. Perhaps, fate simply prepared something bigger and more interesting for him. Then his first steps in the fashion industry began. He became more famous around the 1960s. The future designer spent the first years of his professional activity in a small workshop in one of the southern districts of the city, where he acquired basic practical skills.
Further career success
Although Tom Gilbey wasn’t a fan of learning, he got an education at Sir John Cass College. However, it should be noted that the study was related to his profession. In the early years of his career, he visited Germany, where he studied the peculiarities of textile production at factories. Later, Tom Gilbey returned to London, worked for some time with other famous designers and opened his own studio in 1967. His clothes were distinguished by their lightness and simplicity and were designed mainly for everyday use. Thanks to the creation of new models that are as simple as possible and at the same time of high quality, Tom Gilbey played a big role in the development of men’s clothing. Inspired by sportswear, he created his own version of men’s overalls and then became one of the first to introduce a blouson. Thus, the designer tried to prove that humanity no longer needs fancy ball clothes. This is a new stage in history, when a person can feel easy and relaxed but at the same time attractive. He tried to create clothes that a person wouldn’t even feel on the body. Also, almost all his creations didn’t require special treatment. The designer’s first men’s collection was quite successful and received positive reviews.
Photo source: Wikipedia
A vivid example of an informal dress code in the late 1960s is a suit created by a fashion designer in 1968. It is combined with a silk shirt and is kept in the Victoria & Albert Museum nowadays. Later, Tom Gilbey attracted the attention of the celebrities. In particular, The Kinks and The Animals were interested in his clothes. In the late 1980s, the designer paid great attention to the creation of interesting models of vests. This was also one of the reasons for his popularity. Tom Gilbey’s career was full of contracts with various companies. Although his personality was often understated, the fashion designer’s character and professional skills helped him achieve success. Some of his clothing models are still popular and loved by many people. Tom Gilbey left the fashion industry in the early 2000s. In 2017, the designer’s life ended due to cancer. He will forever go down in the history of the fashion industry as a person who sought after unique designs and implementation of any idea.