Historically, some aspects of fashion have been very elitist, like haute couture – it was once a very closed and closely guarded world, where attending journalists couldn’t even bring a pencil into the show for fear they would sketch the design and copy it. Ultimately, fashion – and clothing – is something that affects all of us, as we all need to dress, whether for protection, for warmth, for society, for work, etc. It can also project a message of how we see ourselves in the world and how we want other people to see us.
I don’t feel traditional elitism is the same as it used to be because we live in an extremely open and connected world now. You are right that London does have a rich history, a place where both the high and the low have long existed next to each other, sometimes fighting, sometimes sitting comfortably together. It is strange and interesting, but it’s also something ‘very London’, and very British. I think this is what has inspired so much creativity.