There are always going to be people in life who inspire us. The fashion world is perpetuated by the cult of celebrity. ASOS has made a million pound business out of folk eager to imitate the wardrobes of those they idolise; Topshop and H&M specialise in sellout celebrity collaborations.
But there are also a rare and fascinating breed of characters who are equally inspiring that we do not wish to imitate. They have style which we can admire for its deep creativity and slavishness to excess without us wanting to copy it. They are real artists playing with style with a serious frivolity. Their outfits are assemblages, creations, extrapolations. Though they often divide opinion with their costumes, I refer to Lady Gaga in particular here, you would not sooner expect to see them in the same outfit twice than in a pair of tracksuit bottoms in public. So credit where credit is due; for your delectation, a few of my favourite fashion artists.
Italian fashion writer Anna Piaggi
Icelandic woodland sprite Bjork
Australian performance artist Leigh Bowery
Singer and Lisa Minnelli impersonator, Lady Gaga
