Hamish Bowles's costume party
When most children were collecting insects or Matchbox cars, a young Hamish Bowles started collecting couture in London. Bowles, now 43 and European editor-at-large for Vogue and editor of the new Vogue Living magazine, never stopped searching and has amassed a massive collection of vintage clothes that is housed in three cities. His collection is so complete that he recently lent dresses to the Cristóbal Balenciaga retrospective at Paris's Musée de la Mode et du Textile. He's best known as the dapper, willowy gentleman sitting next to Anna Wintour at fashion shows, but tonight he's at the Museum of Fine Arts to talk about his fashion collection with the MFA's recently formed Fashion Council. -- CHRISTOPHER MUTHER
Q. How did you happen to start collecting couture as a child?
A.I started collecting costumes. I think that started with going to costume museums all around Britain. A friend of my parents was secretary of the Costume Society of Great Britain, and she further fostered my interest. When I was in my teens, I became interested in what was happening in fashion in Britain, which would have been early and mid 1970s. That was quite an exciting time for British fashion. British Vogue was producing stories which were often quite romantic and theatrical. So I responded to that.
Q.It's funny that you mention the '70s were an exciting time for British fashion because in this country a lot of people think of the 1970s as a bit of a nightmare for fashion.
A.Designers like Halston were defining very sleek, urban, Studio 54 glamour in the States. It was also the period when designers such as Geoffrey Bean, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren were coming into their own. It was very much the "Rhoda" working girl look. But it couldn't have been more different than what was coming out of London, which was much more theatrical.
Q.Which certainly ties in with your interest in theatrical costume collecting.
A.That was also a time when you could go to junk shops and find great couture clothes, because people weren't really interested in it. That was the foundation of the collection.
Q.So you were spending your teenage afternoons scouring junk shops for dresses?
A.Junk shops, dealers, and auction houses. It wasn't a typical teenage existence.
Q.I know that you curated the Jacqueline Kennedy show a few years ago; at some point will you curate your own collection in a museum show?
A.A couple of museums have lightly suggested it, but we'll see. It would be fun.
Q.Any advice for a person who wants to start their own collection?
A.Learn from my mistakes. A real focus would be good. And be aware that acquiring it is just the beginning of a process. Maintaining it is also work. Most importantly, set yourself some budgets.
