From tweed to the iconic low-rise jeans of the early 2000s, London Fashion Week showcased a wide range of styles on Friday, kicking off its 40th season, which was marred by Britain’s dire economic situation.
Around 60 designers, from emerging talent to renowned brands such as Burberry, will show off their new designs over five days, hoping to pique the interest of buyers and fashion influencers.
Irish-American designer Paul Costelloe’s show was titled “Once upon a Time” – a nod to the iconic 1984 film “Once Upon a Time in America” - and featured wide-belted coats in ecru, charcoal and plaid Tweed. Costelloe, 78, who is bedridden with a virus, was not present at the event.
Gen Z favorite
Ukrainian Masha Popova, a Gen Z favorite, presented a collection inspired by the so-called Y2K era of the early 2000s. Against the backdrop of techno music and in front of a crowd of influencers, the models wore low-waisted trousers, faded jeans and heels with long cuffs.
Turkish designer Bora Aksu conveyed a darker mood that aimed to find and celebrate the purest beauty amidst the most vivid terror. Slender models in full-sleeved bodices, lace dresses, flowing skirts, blouses and masculine jackets were paraded to slow music, with cream, gray, black and dark blue colors dominating. The designer, who was inspired by the work of sculptor Eva Hesse, who fled Nazi Germany as a child in 1938, used pink and red tones to maintain a light, feminine energy and repurposed and discarded items for his garments Roll.
On Friday evening, British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker received rapturous applause for her show, where the catwalk was modeled on a traditional African street, with yellow, blue and green umbrellas, stacks of tires and a “Give Way” street sign. Beige, brown and black and white were the predominant colors, and models wore coats, heels, boots and skirts. The large audience snapped photos on their cell phones as a model wearing a multi-colored calabash headdress walked down the catwalk. Another model drew applause when she appeared in a green jacket and beige skirt.
At the end of the show, the models crouched on the runway with their stern faces before breaking into smiles and waving their hands, causing the audience to cheer. Coker waved and smiled as she followed the models down the runway.
Stormy times
Despite the audience’s enthusiasm, the event comes at a turbulent time for the British fashion industry, hit by post-Brexit trade barriers and the cost of living crisis caused by inflation, which has led some aspiring designers to question the viability of investing in the fashion industry to question the British fashion industry.
Rising star Dilara Findikoglu made headlines last September when she canceled her show just days before the event due to financial reasons. The industry, which employs almost 900,000 people in the UK and contributes £21 billion (€24.59 billion) to the UK economy, is facing “incredibly difficult times”, London Fashion Week director Caroline Rush told AFP.
But what you can learn from 40 years, she said, is that in the toughest economic times you see the most incredible creativity.
“There’s almost this intuitive reaction to what’s happening at home. I hope that the creativity we will see in the next few days will be incredibly encouraging, that it will talk about the role of culture and creativity in society,” Rush added.
The first edition of British Fashion Week took place in 1984 in a tent in the car park of the former Commonwealth Institute in west London. Initially overlooked, the British capital earned its rebellious reputation thanks to legends like Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano, who put the city on the fashion map. Then came the “Cool Britannia” era in the 1990s, a time of cultural euphoria when designers Stella McCartney and Matthew Williamson dressed supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.
Since then, London has lost some of its appeal with the relocation of star designers and fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen and Victoria Beckham to Paris, but the BFC’s NEWGEN funding program, which supports young designers, has consolidated London’s position as a hotbed of talent. And although it’s less prestigious than Paris or Milan, London Fashion Week is celebrated for being freer, more radical and less formulaic.
The anniversary edition also aims to highlight greater diversity and inclusivity, both in terms of models’ body shapes, age or skin color, as well as designers’ collections with identities or inspirations from the Caribbean, Iran, India or Ethiopia.
Over the weekend, well-known names such as JW Anderson, Richard Quinn, Ahluwalia and Simone Rocha will present their autumn/winter 2024 collections before London Fashion Week ends with the Burberry show on Monday evening. (AFP)
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk