Posted May 2, 200619 yr IMAGE is everything in fashion. Little wonder, then, that celebrity designer Matthew Williamson would hate to see the likes of Girls Aloud or Britney wearing his clothes. Manchester-born Matthew, whose flowing creations are favoured by A-listers such as actress Keira Knightley and style icon Jade Jagger, believes some women just don't have the right look for wearing his clothes. And although he's never paid anyone to wear his delicate couture, chisel-cheeked Matthew believes some popular artists just don't cut the mustard. He confessed: "I wouldn't really like to say, but if one of Girls Aloud walked into my store it might not be to my liking - or Britney Spears. "The girls I dress have all got a similarity. There's obviously different levels of celebrity - the more A list the better. Every designer likes an affiliation with a star. It's flattery." Matthew's in no doubt about the women he wants to dress. He said: "I'm not paying anyone to wear my designs. I work with certain girls. The kind of girls I dress are Sienna Miller, Jade Jagger, Helena Christensen, Keira Knightley. "Girls who are beautiful inside and, out, with fabulous careers. They're all doing great things." Matthew, 34, brought his catwalk show to the first ever Edinburgh International Fashion Festival last week where he also gave a talk on his colourful career. Now creative director at Italian couture house Pucci, as well as proprietor of the Matthew Williamson store in London, the designer has come a long way from his student days at St Martin's college. It's hard to believe now, but he admitted he used to be in awe of the celebrities he met in those days. He got Kate Moss, Helena Christensen and Jade Jagger to appear at his first ever fashion show in February 1997, but Matthew confessed: "I'm an old timer now, but I was unsettled at first. "I was shy, quiet and introverted. I met Jade when she asked me if she could have one of my designs for free after seeing them in the Tatler office. "I'd sent them in to Vogue to see what they thought of them and got a front cover. "When I said 'no you can't have a freebie' she liked me from the start. We became great friends and she used to paint me pictures of butterflies. When she said she'd model for me, she phoned her friend Kate Moss. "Kate came round to my bedsit up the four flight of stairs and flicked through two rails of my clothes before saying she'd do it. After that I got Helena Christensen. It was a marriage made in heaven." Now Matthew and his business partner Joseph Velosa even hang out with some of the stars he designs for, but he remains down to earth as he talks about his famous friends. He boasted cheekily: "Madonna is a friend of mine now - sorry but it's true. She's amazing. I've been to the cinema with Madonna and our knees were touching." Matthew, who claims he could be as happy living in India 'as a hermit' away from all the glamour, believes fashion designers tend to b e lonely individuals. He said: "We don't tend to pally up. It's quite an isolated process working on a collection. I'm my own biggest critic. There have been seasons when it's not the strongest collection but I think that's what keeps me going. I need to be proud of what I've done." He believes people in the fashion world should expect a certain amount of press intrusion into their private life. He said: "I don't think people have a hard time of it. If you are in the public eye you have got to accept a certain level of interest, a level of intrusion. My only view is I wouldn't judge anyone. What people do in private is up to 1 them. It is unfortunate it can become public but it is up to anyone what they do." Matthew said he had enjoyed j his time in Scotland for the fashion festival. He danced the night away to Kylie and Madonna tracks at Edinburgh private members' club The Hallion, and revealed he even has a Scots family connection. He said: I'm sure Scotland is a big source of inspiration for designers like Vivienne I Westwood. "It's nice to be here. The last time was 10 years ago to visit my aunt in Bo'ness. That's about as Scottish as I get." Matthew Williamson designs are available at Cruise in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
