The news last week that Alexander Wang would be Balenciaga’s new creative director had the fashion world all a-twitter (literally – they were tweeting up a storm).

Despite all the hoo-ha surrounding the choice of the very young New York-based designer, in some ways I was just as struck by the rumoured candidates that didn’t get picked. Because they were, largely, British (or honorary Brits): Thomas Tait, JW Anderson, Mary Katrantzou and Christopher Kane, who had been the rumoured frontrunner. And Balenciaga is not the only recent fashion job opening where the headhunting focus has been on the UK. Stylist Katie Grand just did a niche collection for Diego Della Valle’s Hogan line, while media chief Jefferson Hack did the same for Tod’s. Erdem Moralioglu’s name had been on the shortlist for everything from Dior to Schiaparelli (OK, he was born in Canada but he went to the Royal College of Art and works out of London, is on the schedule at London Fashion Week, is favoured by both the Duchess of Cambridge and Samantha Cameron, and, to most intents and purposes, is considered a British designer). Finally, Italian designer Alberta Ferretti announced that Natalie Ratabesi, a Central St Martins graduate, would be the new (and first) creative director of her Philosophy line. Read more