That is not to mention the designers, nurtured and groomed in the city’s schools and, or perhaps principally, on the metropolises diverse streets which are awash with all the influences of what is officially the world’s most cosmopolitan city.

But therein is the problem. London has a pedigree second to none in discovering and moulding raw new talent, but also has a peerless record for waving it goodbye just as it starts to become profitable.

Perhaps the clearest illustration of this phenomenon – and it really is a phenomenon – is to be found across the English Channel in the capital of the nation’s oldest and most dearly held rival. Parisians see Givenchy as being as quintessentially French as smelly cheese and going on strike but, when it’s eponymous founder relinquished control whom did they call? Yup, that’s right, a Londoner. John Galliano may not have a very English name but he was born, raised and trained under the London rain.

When he left to take the helm at Dior - perhaps the most prestigious job going in this industry - whom did Givenchy choose to replace him but another young talent making waves just across the water. Alexander McQueen may not have stuck it very long, reportedly feeling stifled by the house’s strict ideas of heritage and what constituted the Givenchy look, but he was followed hot on the heels by Julien Macdonald, yet another product stamped Made in England.

Coincidence? Maybe. To be fair the current incumbent is Italian but wait a minute; where did Ricardo Tisci train? Oh, at London’s Central St. Martin’s school.

It seems a bit glib to point out that even the house’s menswear designer, Ozwald Boateng, is British and a fine proponent of the age-old traditions of tailoring based on Saville Row.

Lest this be seen as a eulogy in praise of London we should note that the point of it all is to highlight the perennial problem faced by the city: how to hold onto the riches it produces. In recent seasons the all round lack of big names has become so critical that many of the U.S. editors and buyers have even deemed the shows not worth the airfare. All in all London was in danger of losing its place with the big boys.

For the up-coming season however it seems that the trend has been put into reverse and it is largely due to one lady. Anna Wintour’s return to her native land has single handedly obliged all her rivals to hop on the plane and follow suit. This, along with a record level of visitors expected and a fresh crop of new talent to discover, has created a buzz and the feeling that London once again swings.