Fashion Labels
On a grey October Monday, the 19th floor of Westminster City Hall is ablaze with colour. Violinist Xuannitte serenades the audience of dignitaries including Diane Abbott, the first Black woman elected to the British Parliament and the longest serving female MP, among many others. It is the official launch of Who Stole My Cheese? exhibition by Mary Martin London. The international fashion artist’s creations never fail to deliver, to surprise, to amuse, to educate. Today is no exception. The top floor exhibition is top notch, top drawer – and Dame Mary Martin is on top of the world.
Lord Mayor of Westminster Karen Scarborough opens the exhibition, “Mary’s story is one of change, resilience and opportunity. She spent part of her childhood growing up in a children’s home in Wales. From those beginnings she has built a remarkable career. She went on to become an internationally recognised award winning fashion designer. In a sense Mary moved her own cheese! The Who Moved My Cheese? Dress takes inspiration from the idea that change is inevitable. What matters is how we respond. Do we feel the loss of what is familiar or do we find the confidence and imagination to look for new opportunities?”
Spencer Johnson’s 2018 bestselling business motivational book Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life is a parable about mice whose lives are upended when their favourite supply of cheese disappears. The contrast between mice who freeze with fear and those who learn to adapt is a lesson on the importance of anticipating and embracing change. Time stands still for no woman.
The First Citizen of Westminster continues, “Mary’s end journey reminds us our circumstances do not have to define our destination. I’m also delighted that The Coffee Queen Dress will be displayed as part of the exhibition. It is another wonderful example of Mary using fashion not simply to create something beautiful but to tell a story. A story about heritage, identity and sustainability: the contribution of people from African heritage to our shared history. It is particularly fitting that the exhibition is taking place during Black History Month supporting my charities the Young Westminster Foundation and The Passage. I hope that everyone who sees these remarkable creations will look beyond the fabric and the design, and think about the stories they tell. Who Moved My Cheese? Perhaps the most important question is, ‘Will we find our next cheese?’ and what opportunities might we discover on the way. So Mary, thank you for bringing your creativity, your story, your inspiration to Westminster City Hall. It gives me enormous pleasure to declare this exhibition open!”
The Silver Collection of the Westminster Past Overseers’ Society provides a glittering backdrop to Chief Executive of Westminster City Council Stuart Love’s speech. This significant historic collection dates back to 1713. The Society was set up to support the poor with a tradition of collecting fine silverware for commemorative occasions. Stuart states, “I know, Mary, you said it is a privilege to be here but it is our privilege to have you here. This is the most glamour this floor has ever seen! Like the Lord Mayor I feel deeply underdressed! I just wanted to touch on a few things. ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ is something that’s been around for a very long time. It is very important for us as an organisation as we are about to go through a lot of change. I was looking at all of the words on your amazing piece of art: change, courage, freedom, fearless, fortune and hope. We are going to be telling our staff who work in this building and all over the city to come and spend some time here and remind themselves of the parable that lies behind Who Moved My Cheese?”
Stuart adds, “I just wanted to talk as well about The Coffee Queen Dress. I’ve had a few moments in the last couple of months when I’ve been reminded of something Nelson Mandela said about London and The Coffee Queen for me is another great reminder. He said of London, ‘In this city lie parts of the hearts and souls of South Africa, India and Jamaica.’ That quote for me has always been tinged with a bit of sadness but also really importantly hope. For me this whole exhibition and everything we’ve seen this afternoon is about hope so thank you again Dame Mary. And thank you to Alison Smith and Christopher Smith and everybody in the Global Majority Network.”
Models glide between mannequins displaying both the magnificent movement of the dresses and the sensual silhouettes in stillness. Highlights from The Return Collection, so memorably shot in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2020, mark Black identity, power, pride, history and royalty. Yasmin Jamaal wears The Gold Coast Dress called after the former name for Ghana. The twists and turns of woven plastic brocade symbolically connect African history, Ghanaian heritage and contemporary fashion. The Queen of All Nations Dress is a collaboration with Daphne Stephenson. Based in Wimbledon London, she paints Naïve Art. “There is no other art as raw, honest and engaging as true self taught Naïve Art,” Daphne comments. Her art is beautifully displayed on the raw silk of the crinoline.
“The Schiaparelli show at the V and A which my friend Stuart Blakley took me to inspired this exhibition,” announces Mary. “Parisa Mahdavi is also an actress so that’s why she got to wear the Who Moved My Cheese? Dress. It took me seven days – day and night, day and night – making that dress and she wears it very well. Thank you to Westminster City Council. Thank you to Alison Smith and Christopher Smith and everybody else who put themselves into helping me get the exhibition together.”
Westminster City Council commissioned Mary to make a dress inspired by Who Moved My Cheese? Mary’s starting point was her classic tulle skirt. The 11 cheese pieces integrated into the design are made of sponge. A felt mouse hides in the tulle headpiece. The golden trellis bodice represents the confining necessity of money. Yellow may literally be the colour of cheese but it also represents intellect and optimism.
Parisa unrolls her script and declares, “Humanity’s story begins in Africa. Across thousands of years people moved from Africa and carried with them knowledge, creativity, culture and the ability to adapt to new worlds. For Black History Month, this Who Moved My Cheese? Dress celebrates that continuing journey. Our surroundings may change. Our opportunities changes. Sometimes even our cheese moves. But, whenever people of African heritage have travelled, they have created, contributed, influenced and enriched the societies round them through music, art, medicine and ancient knowledge. This dress is not simply about change. It is about having the courage to move, the strength to adapt and the confidence to carry your heritage with you. We move, we adapt, we create and we leave our mark on the world.” Dame Mary Martin continues to move, adapt, create and leave her mark on the world – all at pace and scale.
Mary Martin London: the big cheese.
