THREE cheers for Wayne Hemingway, the style guru behind cult label Red or Dead.
The diminutive Lancastrian must have wondered what reaction he'd get from his 300-strong audience when he took to the stage at Leeds Town Hall and shone a spotlight on the city's faults.
Not that he would have cared if we'd booed him off – as the chirpy chappie so bluntly put it, he can afford to say what he thinks because he's already made his millions.
In fact his colourful talk on the "liveability" of cities was the undisputed highlight of the day and his cutting, often hilarious, observations about the failures of urban regeneration in the UK received a rapturous response.
But I imagine certain delegates at the City Centre Vision Conference were squirming in their seats as he pointed out a string of negatives about Leeds.
The developers behind many of the city's terracotta-clad blocks of flats were an obvious target for the chairman of Building for Life, an organisation that promotes excellence in the quality of design of new housing.
Marketing Leeds also felt the rough end of his tongue, as he questioned the truth of the slogan "Leeds, Live it Love it".
As he said, a brand needs substance, it's not enough simply to have a memorable catchphrase.
Leeds city centre doesn't have anything that sets it apart from any other UK city and the only residents catered for are young professionals - life here is simply not diverse enough to inspire "love" for it.
The devoted dad saved his full-blown derision for a brochure purporting to promote the city, using a photo of cheerleaders at a rugby match – hardly an image that screams 21st century cosmopolitan city, as we claim to be.
And the Harvey Nics team must have been cringing in their Chlöe when the former fashion designer, who favours stylish second-hand clobber, came out with the statement: "Forward-thinking people don't go to Harvey Nichols, it's naff – it's for people who are obsessed with brands and can't think for themselves."
Choice
He'd prefer to see streets lined with independent stores, giving entrepreneurs a chance and shoppers more choice.
Around 27 years ago he and then girlfriend, now wife, Gerardine, sold their own clothes at a Camden market stall.
They paid £6 rent, took £80 on the first day and created Red or Dead, a must-have brand sold around the globe, which they sold for a huge profit almost 10 years ago.
So as well as trying to build a better Britain through his company Hemingway Design, and various other projects, he is passionate about the importance of nurturing new creative talent.
He was horrified to learn that young designers from Leeds had been turfed out of the Corn Exchange so it could become a food emporium.
Like thousands of others he recognises the tragedy of forcing out independent traders at a time when city centres across Britain risk becoming cloned high streets filled with global brands.
In stark contrast to the situation here in Leeds, he said Amsterdam's forward-thinking council was snapping up former brothels in the red light district whenever they come up for sale, then letting them out to new designers for zero rent, turning them into stunning fashion boutiques.
It is choosing long-term gain for the city as a whole over instant revenue for the council coffers – something Leeds City Council could learn from.
This city has ended up with dozens of hideous, identikit buildings because it didn't dare demand higher standards from developers, for fear of scaring away investors.
It forged ahead without a proper vision of how the city should look and underestimated the importance of retaining key sites for public space, seizing everything that was offered instead of being more discerning.
It has lost control of one of its most treasured historic gems, the Corn Exchange – a shopping centre known around the country for its quirky appeal – by leasing it to Zurich Assurance, whose main aim is making money for its shareholders not providing a haven for cash-strapped young businesses.
Unfortunately, all too often the deals that generate the most cash are not for the good of the city but for the benefit of a few individuals.
At least by holding the conference and consulting key business people in Leeds the council is making progress.
Now it needs to seek out the opinions of the city's young designers and creative types, those with a more left-field perspective like inspirational speaker Wayne, to come up with truly innovative, unique ideas for the future.
Maybe then we can start creating a city centre that stands out from the crowd.
debbie.leigh@ypn.co.uk