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'Posh and Becks' in Croydon ... it must be a new mecca for fashion
Valentine Low, Evening Standard16.06.08
There is the classic style of Paris, the effortless chic of Milan, the edgy buzz of New York. But from today, the panoply of fashion capitals of the world was joined by a new contender - Croydon.
Until now the town's only claim to fashion icon status was as the birthplace of Kate Moss, and as the place which gave its name to Britain's most ubiquitous, if least charming hairstyle, the Croydon facelift.
But from now, if the town's business leaders are to be believed, all that will change with the launch of Croydon Fashion Week.
It kicked-off with a parade through the town centre in what was billed as the biggest celebration of fashion the area has ever seen.
There were models! (Or at least, girls who really, really want to be models once they've finished doing their A levels).
There was Posh and Becks! (Or at least a pair who bore quite a reasonable resemblance to Mr and Mrs Beckham, but turned out on closer inspection to be professional lookalikes).
And there was a towering pair in six-inch heels and skin-tight latex, who described themselves as living sculptures. Sadly the one person who wasn't there was Kate Moss. "Kate Moss was not particularly receptive to our enquiries," said Nick Jones of the Croydon Business Improvement District - the people behind Fashion Week - dryly.
The almost didn't have Posh and Becks either. "Where the f*** are Posh and Becks," shouted one of the organisers as the time for the start of the parade came and went. "Let's f***ing start without them."
But with a jazz band, and the semifinalists from the competition Are You The Face Of Croydon? - and, eventually, Mr and Mrs Beckham - they had enough for the parade and set off round the fashion landmarks of Croydon.
Past Woolworths they went, and Currys and TK Maxx, even somewhere called The Modelzone which sounded quite hopeful until it turned out to be filled with toy cars and planes, not 6ft girls with perfect cheekbones.
Possibly the most fashionable person in the parade was X-Factor runner-up Ashley McKenzie, whose debut single Deeper In Love comes out later this month. He comes from Croydon, and still seems to like the place. "There's a lot of talented people here," he said. "It looks rough, but it's not a dump."
Brian Stapleton, the chief executive of Croydon Business, is determined to put the place on the fashion map. "We have things to be proud of. Kate Moss came from Croydon and John Galliano went to college here."
And did they miss Kate Moss? Not at all, according to Jodi Nkrumah, 25, one of the modelling competition contestants. "You can take the girl out of Croydon, but you can't take the Croydon out of the girl."
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Does anyone else think it's a bit suspicious that the "R U the Face of Croydon" competition was won by a Miss Kim Whittle, sister of Croydon Business event organiser Sherine Whittle? Especially since a) she's won an all-expenses paid trip to New York and b) she's not even from Croydon...
- Norwood Sentinel, Upper Norwood
