He is the international editor-at-large for the American Vogue since 1995. Hamish Bowles with his unique voice travels the reader to the most extraordinary places of the fashion world. Here are the ten things you should know about this Vogue's key figure.
"I started collecting couture when I was 10 or 11 years old, and the very first piece I bought was a Balenciaga suit from 1962"
1. His brought up had nothing to do with the British aristocratic life in Hempstead, a northern area of London. His father was a Vice Provost of the University College of London, and his mother was interested in photography and antiques. "She was a deeply intrepid maverick and adventurer," he says about his mother. 2. At the age of 6 and during to a trip to North Africa, Morocco, Hamish started drawing women's clothes. When he turned 9, he started collecting linings, and lots of women were giving him little Victorian pieces of lace. 3. The 14-year-old Hamish entered the British Vogue Talent Contest and won a special mention. Then he studies fashion journalism at Saint Martin's School of Art. His first job was at Harper's & Queen as a junior fashion editor. 4. In 1993, he accepted to work for the American Vogue after a fashion photoshoot of his lilac apartment in London. 5. Mr. Bowles has the largest vintage clothing collections in the world, and he stores it in the Bronx and Queens. "I started collecting couture when I was 10 or 11 years old, and the very first piece I bought was a Balenciaga suit from 1962," he remembers.
6. In 2001, he curated "Jacqueline Kennedy and the White House Years" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2011, after an invitation of Oscar de la Renta, he curated the "Balenciaga in Spain" exhibition. 7. He also has a very humorous side. After Anna Wintour's suggestion, he went for an audition at "The X Factor" in 2011. 8. In 2014, he wrote and also starred in the 4.5-minute live action film "Cover Girl". His co-star was Lena Dunham. 9. Deadlines are not Mr. Bowles's favorite thing, according to Ms. Wintour. 10. "Vintage Bowles" is a Vogue video series in which Mr. Bowles travels around the globe seeking unique pieces for his collection. σ