The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023 - Issue 33

M LondonFashionExperience bitenightout 2023 I n 2015, the brutal death of Cecil the lion, who was shot with a crossbow, left wounded and killed hours later in a trophy hunt, shocked the world, including visual fash- ion designer Mary Martin. “When I saw the lion on the TV, I was deeply shocked,” she told BBC World Service . She com- memorated his senseless death by creating a stunning black dress with fluffy tulle textures representing the lion’s mane and sparkly fabric at Africa Fashion Week London. This symbolic creation and other bespoke haute couture designs show the extent of Mary Martin’s innovative creativity. In 2020, she staged ‘The Return - Black Excellence’ fashion show at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London, the first black designer to do so in the historical building. The 19th-century classical gothic-revival building was inspired by writer, composer, independent grocery shop owner and aboli- tionist Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780). Sancho was among the first British of African heritage to earn the right to vote in the 18th-century General Elections. Inspired by this period, Mary’s collection showed the models clothed in classical designs provoking thoughts of society symbols, the hu- manity of Africans and the immortality of the slave trade. Last year, she contributed to ‘The Thousand Faces of Grace Jones’ at the Southbank Centre Meltdown festival. She mesmerised the audience with her beautiful gowns at African Fashion Week every year. Before she became an award-winning fashion designer, inspired by her mother’s dressmaking as a child, Mary had a successful career in the music industry as a singer and artist management. She had moved to London in the early ‘80s when fashion and music were at its height. Mary has been featured on BBC News, Spice TV Africa, The Telegraph, The Apprentice and other inter- national news channels. She’s also dressed notable figures and celebrities globally for red-carpet events and fashion shows. Photography: Tony Wellington Fashion Designer: Mary Martin aryMartin