Few figures in fashion history burn quite as brightly or as beautifully as Isabella Blow. The eccentric, hat-wearing editor wasn’t just a fashion insider; she was a fashion catalyst. Credited with discovering Alexander McQueen, Sophie Dahl, and Philip Treacy, Blow had a rare gift spotting genius long before the rest of the world caught up.

Born Isabella Delves Broughton in London, she swapped aristocratic privilege for artistic chaos, moving to New York in the late ’70s to study at Columbia. But academia couldn’t contain her creativity. Soon, she was working alongside Anna Wintour and André Leon Talley at Vogue, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Andy Warhol and Basquiat not bad for a British girl with a flair for the dramatic.

Back in London, Isabella became a muse, mentor, and maverick all in one. Her collaborations with Philip Treacy made her famous for her sculptural hats part artwork, part armour. Behind the couture and charisma, though, was a woman haunted by heartbreak, mental health struggles, and an industry that didn’t always love her back.

Isabella’s tragic death in 2007 left a void in fashion but her influence remains undeniable. Every time a young designer dares to be bold, or a stylist embraces eccentricity, her spirit lives on.

She didn’t just wear fashion she was fashion. And in true FFC style, we’ll say this: the world could use a little more Isabella Blow energy fearless, fabulous, and unapologetically extra.