Guy Ritchie to David Bowie: Ten of the greatest British style icons

From a film director who never seems to make a bad decision about what to wear - to a musical genius who is always cool, OZWALD BOATENG chooses his most stylish men - including Brian Cox, Michael Fassbender and Piers Morgan

Guy Ritchie (left) is one of those people who reminds me of the importance of confidence when it comes to clothes. In the next year or two, Brian Cox (right) will emerge as one of the best-dressed men in this country

1. GUY RITCHIE

I’m happy owning up to the fact that Guy’s a mate of mine. But that fact doesn’t cloud my opinion when I say that he really knows his clothes. He never seems to make a bad decision about what to wear. That consistency is quite rare. I first worked with him on Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and his style has definitely evolved since that time. I’m a big fan of classic Harris tweed and Guy wears that look especially well. It’s not a look that everyone can carry off, but Guy does it with panache. His passion for the material shines through. He’s one of those people who reminds me of the importance of confidence when it comes to clothes. You can tell that he loves his wardrobe. Over the years he’s worked out what looks good on him and what doesn’t. He’s got it down to a fine art.

2. BRIAN COX

Cox is a one-off. Not only does he make science cool, he exudes cool himself. If style is simply an expression of yourself through your clothing, then Cox has got it, indisputably. He looks great in a tuxedo. He looks great in a three-piece suit. He looks great in a T-shirt. He’s got a great vibe about him and his style is evolving all the time. He’s very lean, very fit-looking, so he would be easy to style. In the next year or two, he will emerge as one of the best-dressed men in this country. As long as he avoids leather trousers.

3. JOHN HURT

John Hurt always looks relaxed and self-contained. At the same time, he's lived it. You can see his experience etched into his face

I dressed him for this year’s Baftas. I love to create a look that is both classic and edgy – and Hurt is perfect for that. His filmography is astonishing, so many great films. He looks good in all of them. He always looks relaxed and self-contained. At the same time, he’s lived it. You can see his experience etched into his face. He’s been making movies since the early Sixties but he’s got a very modern outlook on the world. He’s always got an interesting point of view on anything you care to name. He’s 72 and he’s still got that glint of mischief in his eyes. In creating a tuxedo for him, I set out to reflect all that.

Tinie Tempah (left) seems to possess an innate understanding of what makes clothes work for the best. Michael Fassbender (right) looks great in just about anything. To look great all the time is not easy

4. TINIE TEMPAH

One of Britain’s greatest musical talents and a man who really, really knows how to dress. He brings a great attitude to everything he does. Whether he’s wearing a well-cut suit and bow tie or decked out in low-slung jeans, a beanie and Air Jordans, the guy has a very impressive eye for detail. He seems to possess an innate understanding of what makes clothes work for the best. His music is full of wit and he brings that to his wardrobe, too. I can always spot someone who’s got the same lifelong passion for clothes. Tinie’s definitely got that.

5. MICHAEL FASSBENDER

Fassbender is Irish-German rather than British, but I admire his attitude to clothes so much that it’s impossible to leave him off the list. I’m going to argue that his fashion sense is informed by a very British sensibility. He looks great in a classic English suit. Then again, he looks great in just about anything. To look good all the time is not easy. Fashions change. What looked great ten years ago may not look so good today. Fassbender always seems to pull it off. I’ve been to football matches with him where he’s wearing casual stuff and he’s the coolest-looking man there. It helps that he’s got a natural charisma. When it comes to clothes he is very open-minded and I love that quality. I can’t think of anyone who can carry off English style with a twist any better than him.

David Bowie (left) has the edge over Mick Jagger largely because of his genius for evolving as a musician and style leader. If Sam Riley (right) wasn't an actor he could easily be a model

6. DAVID BOWIE

I was torn between Bowie and Jagger, two very stylish individuals. I’ve dressed both of them and they’re both fascinating to work with, as they have such a keenly developed sense of what looks good on them. For me, Bowie has the edge, largely because of his genius for evolving as a musician and a style leader. I saw him in the 1983 film The Hunger, where he looked impossibly cool in these sleek black suits and shades. He was so compelling to look at. He’s maintained that sense of cool throughout his career. He looked great from the start of his career when he was wearing amazing mod gear. It could be argued that he was never cooler than in the Seventies, when he would transform his look with every album. His Thin White Duke period is the one for me. That look, with the white shirt, black trousers and waistcoat, it’s so simple but it’s stunning.

7. SAM RILEY

I first saw him playing Ian Curtis in the film Control and I’ve been a major fan ever since. He’s just got such a cool vibe, very at ease with himself, but he’s also got that raw energy. He’s one of those guys who you feel is always going to be doing interesting work, rather like Ewan McGregor. And like McGregor, Riley always looks good. He’s like a blank canvas in that you know that he could wear just about anything and carry it off with aplomb. If he wasn’t an actor he could easily be a model. He’s fluid, he’s adaptable, he’s extremely versatile. He’s an intelligent dresser and a designer’s dream because you know he’s going to be open to suggestions but, ultimately, he knows what he wants to say with his clothes.

Sir Winston Churchill (left) dressed with the authority of a leader but never lost his sense of individuality. When you dress someone as classically handsome as Daniel Day-Lewis (right), it gives you a head start

8. SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL

Churchill was always immaculately turned out. If you can find a photo of him in an old pair of jeans I’d be very surprised. He’d wear these beautiful tailored jackets with polka-dot bow ties and completely carry it off. He wore the most impressive overcoats, he always looked good in a homburg – and few looks are more iconic than the Austin Reed siren suit he wore during WWII. He dressed with the authority of a leader but never lost his sense of individuality. What his clothes said about him was that here was a man who was comfortable in his own skin and also had a strong sense of his own destiny.

9. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS

I dressed Daniel Day-Lewis for the 2003 Oscars and he was a joy to work with. He trained to be a shoemaker, learning his trade in Florence, so I think he appreciates the craft that goes into making clothes. If you present him with an item of clothing, he instantly understands what you’re trying to say. When you dress someone as classically handsome as Day-Lewis, it gives you a head start. But someone’s charisma is far more important than their physique or their facial features.

10. PIERS MORGAN

Since moving to CNN, Piers Morgan's sense of style has evolved dramatically. He's now one of the best-dressed men on TV

Maybe this choice will surprise some people but it seems obvious to me. Since moving to CNN, Piers’s sense of style has evolved dramatically. He’s now one of the best-dressed men on TV. It’s great to see someone’s confidence in their wardrobe grow. When you’re on television every day, you have to keep moving in the way you look. That means it’s easy to make mistakes. But Piers seems to make the right decisions every time. He knows instinctively what looks good on him. With or without a tie, his suits give him this quiet authority that sits well with him as a host. He’s never too showy, never too understated.