London Fashion Week SS20 - What Not To Miss

On September 13, press, buyers and influencers will descend on London for the bi-annual five-day jam-packed London Fashion Week featuring 66 brands, 74 stores and 170 events as part of the official British Fashion Council schedule that has turned into a city-wide celebration, including public catwalk shows, emerging designer presentations, store launches, and exhibitions.

London Fashion Week will feature fashion editor favourites Molly Goddard, Christopher Kane and JW Anderson presenting their latest collections, as well as Riccardo Tisci’s third season for Burberry, alongside Victoria Beckham, Ashish, Temperley London, and Rixo. There are also a number of brands making their LFW on-schedule debut including Korean brand YCH, tailoring brand Eftychia, Jeremy Scott-alumni Bobby Abley is making the move from London Fashion Week: Men’s and Julien Macdonald will be presenting his new brand Julien x Gabriela.

There are however some notable absences this season, Peter Pilotto has moved his show to Milan, Mary Katrantzou is heading to Athens in October, while Ashley Williams is skipping this season, and Grace Wales Bonner is opting for private appointments, and Bethany Williams decided to show during menswear week in June.

London Fashion Week opens its doors to the public

For the first time, London Fashion Week will be hosting public-facing catwalk shows from AlexaChung, House of Holland and Self-Portrait, on September 14 and 15, where fashion fans can purchase tickets to the “immersive” experience that includes creative installations, industry-led talk panels, and the newly relaunched Designer Exhibition. Standard tickets are priced at 135 pounds and Front Row tickets at 245 pounds.

Other consumer-focused events include Anya Hindmarch’s immersive postbox maze inside Brewer Street Car Park, inspired by the patterns within M. C. Escher’s Metamorphosis III mural, designed fifty years ago for The Hague Post Office, while Browns will celebrate the launch of Peggy Gou’s new brand Kirin with an in-store appearance from the designer, and Burberry’s Thomas’s Cafe will launch a special London Fashion Week breakfast comprising of a selection of tapas-style dishes including French toast with orange compote, cardamom and bay curd as well as secret Smokehouse salmon, scrambled eggs and buckwheat blinis.

Huntsman will celebrate their centenary on Savile Row with the largest and most comprehensive tie collection, featuring over 185 exclusive designs sourced from seven separate suppliers, while John Lewis will host a series of catwalk shows, AW19 style trend talks and pop-up beauty partnerships in its White City Westfield shop, and MatchesFashion will host a series of events at their Mayfair Townhouse, 5 Carlos Place, including an installation to celebrate Richard Quinn’s debut collection for Moncler.

Mulberry will launch its new Iris bag family with a series of free workshops led by craftspeople from Mulberry’s Somerset factory. Guests will be able to create and take home a bespoke leather bracelet made with offcuts from the Iris bag.

Julien x Gabriela

Julien Macdonald is teaming up with “dear friend and muse” Gabriela Gonzalez for the debut of their Julien x Gabriela couture brand. No details have been shared about the new collection, just that it will be high-end glamour, as the brand made its debut on the red carpet during Cannes in May.

In an Instagram post, Gonzalez said: “The very first Julien x Gabriela runway it’s about to be presented in a few days during the London Fashion Week. It’s a privilege and honour to be presenting this new brand by the hand of my mentor Julien Macdonald and to be able to share it with all of you who have continuously shared this journey with us and given so much love.”

Julien Macdonald presents Julien x Gabriela will hit the catwalk on September 16

Focus on sustainability

For the very first time, the United Nations will bring the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as The Global Goals to London Fashion Week. The Goals are a universal route map and call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that every global citizen enjoys peace and prosperity by 2030. The #TogetherBand tapestry installation will be part of the Positive Fashion Exhibition, to introduce the London Fashion Week audience to the goals.

The British Fashion Council is also calling on the industry to embrace ‘positive fashion’ with its new curated designer exhibition designed for spring/summer 2020 to celebrate industry best practice and encourage future business decisions to create positive change. Positive Fashion is led by three key pillars: Sustainability, Equality and Diversity, Craftsmanship and Community, and each brand showcasing in the Designer Exhibition answers to one or more of those pillars, added the BFC.

Brands taking part includes upcycling brand Ancuta Sarca, Azura Lovisa, which champions sustainable fabrics and slow fashion, designer Duran Lantink, who approaches fashion with a DIY attitude, upcycling discarded luxury garments and deadstock to produce his collections, and Felder Felder will showcase a selection of their ‘Ecouture’ designs made from natural fabrics, such as pineapples, wild rubber from the Amazonian Rain Forest and vegan silk.

Other highlights will include swimwear brand Stay Wild Swim made from regenerated ocean plastic in body-positive styles, using sustainable materials created from a smart techno-fabric, Econyl, while Paolo Carzana, previous British Fashion Council scholar will present his latest work 'The Another World Project,’ working with the leftover materials from his BA collection to create a series of healing dolls made up of sustainable materials including pineapple leather, bamboo silk and second-hand bed sheets, which have been over-dyed in natural homemade pigments.

In addition, Pause Conscious, the global movement that showcases sustainable fashion around the world, is coming to London for its ninth edition during London Fashion Week. The pop-up featuring 80 sustainable designers, will combine shopping with art, live performances, music, and educational experiences. The event will take place at Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden for 10-days, from September 13 to 22..

Victoria Beckham launches beauty brand

Victoria Beckham returns to the London Fashion Week schedule for her third consecutive season, but the fashion designer is also launching her new beauty brand, Victoria Beckham Beauty, which she is calling a “unique synergy between the worlds of beauty and fashion” on September 14.

Announced in February, the beauty brand is launching for autumn/winter 2019 and Beckham has dropped hints that the affordable “clean beauty” collection will be cruelty-free and inclusive for all skin tones, as well as offering make-up, skincare and a fragrance.

London Fashion Week Festival: What To Expect For 2018

LONDON FASHION WEEK FESTIVAL 

WHAT IS IT?

London Fashion Week Festival is the public’s opportunity to get in on all the fashion week action, no invitation required. Staged in The Store Studios, the same venue as London Fashion Week itself, the event will be the ultimate extravaganza for fashion-lovers wanting to enjoy everything the industry has to offer.

Running from 22nd – 25th February, the event has packed schedule of designer and trend catwalks shows, exclusive industry talks, pampering pop-ups and, of course, plenty of shopping opportunities.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2018

Foodies shouldn’t miss Thursday’s chat with healthy eating entrepreneur Deliciously Ella. From bestselling cookbooks to running two delis, come and discover how she does it. Onto Friday, and you can get an exclusive insight into fashion forecasting, blogging and styling with a panel of industry experts – including Elle’s Harriet Stewart, content strategist Alicia Waite and blogger Lucy Williams. A must-see for anyone interested in the future of fashion. Saturday evening, meanwhile, sees Orla Kiely taking the stage to look back at her journey through fashion and design with Dennis Nothdruft, curator of the designer’s exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Sunday is also set to be a winner, with former head of menswear at Harvey Nichols, Darren Skey, sharing his thoughts on the changing men’s fashion landscape: from department stores to boutiques to internet shopping. Then at 3.45, creative collective Gal-Dem will be sharing their wisdom on how to set up an independent magazine – a must for budding journalists.

HOW TO GET TICKETS

Tickets start from just £20 for basic festival entry, which includes event access, shopping access to more than 150 brands and industry talks, and go up to £200 for the Luxe Premium pass. This packs in priority event access, access to the LUXE Lounge, Prosecco reception with Caroline Rush, CEO British Fashion Council, front row seats at a Designer Catwalk, intimate Q&A with the designer and designer tote bag and private till point with shopping concierge service. What more could you possibly want?

London Fashion Week SS20: Designers including Simone Rocha and Preen deliver pagan princesses and punk attitude

The third day of London Fashion Week shows has come to an end and the five-day event is nearing its sartorial climax.

But, while show-goers might be exhibiting signs of slowing down – writer’s cramp, exhaustion and, of course, hangovers are rife – designers continued to flood the runways with garb that fired up the fashion crowd’s imagination.

While Margaret Howell comforted show attendees with more of what they know and love, Preen took inspiration from Japanese culture and Victoria Beckham put forward a divisive collection steeped in references to decades gone by.

Elsewhere, Simone Rocha concluded the day’s proceedings with a showstopping collection at Alexandra Palace which cast a spell on show-goers with a myriad of conflicting aesthetics.Kickstarting the morning of day three, designer duo Thea Bregazzi and Justin Thornton – who are partners in real life as well as business – built on the brand’s dark romanticism.

In the two decades since they first launched Preen, the couple have built on an aesthetic of arts and crafts-inspired florals and modern prints.

This season though, the label honed in on its punkish sensibilities, taking inspiration from a country renowned for its alternative style: Japan.

Citing books like Manga series The Promised Neverland and Japonisme – a guide to living a happier, more fulfilled life – as well as cult films including Martin Scorsese’s Kill Bill and Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, Preen presented a series of looks that quickly escalated from voluminous dresses which wouldn’t look out of place in Harajuku to padded trench coats and grungy T-shirts decorated with subversive motifs.

The brand’s signature ruffled skirts and sequin-covered gowns were also present, only this time they were tempered by the addition of loose-fitted hoodies, buckled leather boots and illustrations of badass Manga girls.What really stole the show here though were the series of spliced frocks that looked as though they had been cut cleanly with a samurai sword. There was one in white that came with a cut-out midriff, asymmetric ruffled hem and balloon sleeves, and another in black that suspended superfluous satin from the bust.

The clothes on the catwalk today were very much indicative of designers who, while at ease with sticking to what they do best, aren’t afraid to push the sartorial envelope. Alas, being a Preen girl never seemed more appealing.Roland Mouret quickly forged a signature for himself when he launched his brand in 1998, translating his reverence for the female form into garments that oozed sex appeal and sensuality.

Case in point: in 2005, Mouret unveiled the Galaxy dress that would ultimately make his name. Using the curving female figure as the starting point, the souped-up and cinched in gown became near ubiquitous among A-listers with everyone from Cameron Diaz to Scarlett Johansson and Dita Von Teese all wearing it well within a six-month period.

However, this season there was far less sex appeal and a renewed focus on simplicity.

“A designer should define silhouettes not just clothes: this season’s silhouette is the evolution and continuation of my work over the years,” Mouret said.

In contrast to the scooped in draping and shaping the designer has become best known for, this season Mouret adopted a more laissez faire attitude that emanated from wide-leg trousers, boxy blazers, breezy shirt dresses and slack knitwear.

By incorporating more tailoring into his collection, the designer said he was inviting consumers to “play with the silhouette as a way to convey personal style”.

Sure, he knows a woman’s body well but it seems as though he has also sensed a shift in how they’re minds and approach to dressing have changed.

Perhaps the global call for action through movements such as #metoo and #timesup has prompted him to redefine his portrayal of female sexuality?

How can YOU get tickets to London Fashion Week? The ultimate guide for the fashion savvy

LONDON Fashion Week is one of the most glamorous events in the fashion calendar and is normally reserved for insiders only.Celebrities, buyers and press are the only people usually lucky enough to get a place inches away from the gorgeous models strutting down the runway.

But there can be ways for the average woman to get in on the action - in September 2015, Givenchy offered 820 free tickets to the public to watch its 2016 show in New York.

Young French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus followed suit and offered 40 members of the public the chance to attend his Paris Fashion Week show via an email prize draw on his website.
Last season, spectators were able to watch the catwalk action from London live on 60 screens across the UK thanks to the BFC’s collaboration with Ocean Outdoor.

The screens were in cities such as Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.

In London there were screens in Canary Wharf, Holland Park, Two Towers West and Westfield.

If you want the experience of sitting at a catwalk show, four top designers will stage their SS17 shows for the ticket buying public at London Fashion Weekend.

Preen, Edeline Lee, Sibling and J.JS Lee will re-stage their shows the week after London Fashion Week.Tickets for London Fashion Weekend start at £20 for the basic experience package, to £200 for a ‘premium’ package.

It runs from Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th September 2016 and is held at the Saatchi Gallery.

London Fashion Week is nearly upon us - and a British supermodel recently scooped a top spot in the Forbes Rich List.The Plymouth-born beauty, 29, has ranked in a tie fifth position with American model Gigi Hadid on the Top 20 list compiled by Forbes.

Her estimated earnings are believed to be nine million dollars (around £6.8 million).

Forbes base their figures for those featured on the Top 20 list on income generated from cosmetic and fragrance businesses, as well as other contracts.

Rosie launched her Autograph lingerie range with high street giants M&S in 2012, and the range has since expanded to include a fragrance, sports wear and make-up.

London Fashion Week 2019: Here’s everything you need to know Read more at https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/london-fashion-week-472090#mqAmWszcqkPHPftW.99

From the designers to how to get tickets, we've got you covered

One of the UK’s most coveted events of the year, London Fashion Week 2019, showing AW19, is fast approaching. Organised by the British Fashion Council, bloggers, press and fashion influencers alike will flock to the centre of the capital city to get the scoop on what everyone will be wearing next season.

From the week’s schedule to who will be in attendance and London Fashion Week’s best moments, this is everything you need to know about this season’s happenings…

London Fashion Week 2019 dates

This season, LFW will take place from Friday 15th to Tuesday 19th February – just after New York Fashion Week.

London Fashion Week 2019 tickets

Unfortunately, unless you’re a fashion buyer, blogger or press, it’s very unlikely you’ll be sitting on the FROW any time soon. However, if you are a fashion blogger, you can complete an online registration form to be in with the chance of cinching an exclusive spot on the guest list. You do have to be organised and register a few weeks’ in advance, so it’s unlikely you’ll make it this time around. Something to remember for next time, eh?

It’s not all doom and gloom if you don’t get tickets, though. Formerly known as London Fashion Weekend, London Fashion Week Festival is the chance for those downtrodden fashion lovers (who aren’t quite high profile enough to attend the main event) to join in on the fun. Featuring catwalk shows, industry trends and the chance to shop from a range of designer pieces, it’s every fashion enthusiasts must-attend

After a few seasons of change, we’re getting excited for our regular designer shows this season. Victoria Beckham is showing again after the 10-year-anniversary show in September, and so are Alexa Chung, Rejina Pyo, ERDEM and Simone Rocha to name just a few.

The full schedule is available at londonfashionweek.co.uk, and you can keep up-to-date with the events as they happen through the official live stream.

London Fashion Week organisers warn of 'Brexit' risks

Stephanie Phair, chairwoman of the British Fashion Council, says the industry is urging the government to find a Brexit deal as studies show a no-deal exit would cost the fashion industry well over $1 billion.British fashion officials are warning about the perils of a "no-deal" Brexit as London Fashion Week begins.

At an opening event on Friday morning, Stephanie Phair, chairwoman of the British Fashion Council, said the industry is urging Britain's government to find a Brexit deal rather than leave the European Union without new arrangements in place.

She said studies show a "no-deal" Brexit would cost the fashion industry well over $1 billion (800 million pounds) and urged the government to negotiate a deal that would ensure "the healthy and steady growth of the fashion industry."

She spoke at the start of a five-day fashion fest that will feature big names like Burberry, Christopher Kane and Victoria Beckham.

One of the main events is a Fashion for Relief fashion show organised by model Naomi Campbell.

Many of the shows are also expected to showcase up-and-coming designers as London builds on its reputation for innovative street fashions.

As the event started Friday, Extinction Rebellion climate protesters glued themselves to an entrance to the extravaganza.

The group said five of its activists covered themselves in fake blood and staged a "die-in" to protest fashion's contribution to the "climate and ecological crisis." The group says it plans actions throughout the event.

London Fashion Week officials declined to comment on the protest.

Members of the public will be able to attend London Fashion Week shows this September

The British Fashion Council has announced that both House Of Holland and Self-Portrait will stage public shows during London Fashion Week. The designers will showcase their autumn/winter 2019 collections during three different time slots on Sunday 15 September.

This new format makes a big change for LFW, helping it to become more accessible to the wider public. The designers taking part in the public-facing shows will change every season.While the trade audience will attend a different schedule of catwalk shows and presentations across five days between 13-17 September, the public will be able to take part in an immersive fashion-week experience at the official London Fashion Week Hub. This will include catwalk shows, creative installations, industry-led panel talks and much more, offering an exclusive insight into the fashion industry.The two designers to kickstart this new movement with public shows are House of Holland and Self-Portrait. The former is headed up by Henry Holland and launched in 2008. The brand will also host a catwalk show to trade professionals on 14 September.

Self-Portrait, a contemporary womenswear brand that launched in 2013, designs luxury fashion with an accessible price point. Its signature style includes feminine silhouettes, which are popular with celebrities including Michelle Obama, the Duchess of Sussex, Beyoncé and Zendaya. The brand will also host a catwalk show to trade professionals as part of New York Fashion Week on 7 September.

Richard Quinn

Richard Quinn, one of London Fashion Week's fastest-rising stars, brought Monday night to a close with a bang, delivering a spectacular show at a sports centre in Bethnal Green, which saw a Philharmonic orchestra perform, Erin O'Connor walk, the designer reveal bridalwear for the first time and a group of feather-adorned young children melt every heart on the front row. The South East London native said he wanted to create "a fashion sanctuary, where we can all come and celebrate" and on this, he certainly delivered

London Fashion Week Sponsors

Principal Sponsor

Sunglass Hut

Sunglass Hut is proud to be the principal sponsor of London Fashion Week; the destination for designer and luxury sunglasses. Sunglass Hut celebrates fashion in 3,300+ stores in more than 45 countries. They are providing exclusive access to London Fashion Week with ticket competitions and by giving customers who purchase in UK stores and online an official London Fashion Week tote bag, for a limited time only. For guests at the BFC show space and in selected stores, Sunglass Hut will be also offering complimentary ‘tote-ally stuck on you’ personalisation.

Sponsors

David Collins Studio

David Collins Studio is the award-winning and market-leading interior architecture practice that realises creative and inspirational hospitality, residential, and retail projects worldwide.  Established in 1985, it is a globally-recognised brand and an expert in contemporary luxury and design.

DHL

DHL is proud to be the Official Logistics Partner to Fashion Week events around the world. As global market leader in the international express business, we specialise in time and day critical shipments. We develop logistics solutions to customers ranging from retail groups and fashions houses to small fashion boutiques.  For more information contact us www.dhlguide.co.uk/e-commerce

Etihad Airways

Etihad is committed to making sure that every time guests fly, their journey is truly remarkable. To achieve this, we draw on the traditions of hospitality from our home, Abu Dhabi, to create contemporary living spaces offering all guests unparalleled comfort and service.

Evening Standard

With a circulation in excess of 900,000 daily, The London Evening Standard is truly the ‘voice of the capital’. Accompanied by a special edition of ‘ES’ Magazine hand-distributed at London Fashion Week venues, the title celebrates twenty-three seasons as a LFW sponsor this September. For more information contact Maurice Mullen maurice.mullen@standard.co.uk Tel +44 (0)20 36152329  

Lavazza Coffee

Lavazza, Italy’s favourite coffee, is excited to be entering another year of sponsoring London Fashion Week. Press, buyers, designers and models can reward their hard work with a cup of Lavazza coffee. Lavazza will be served throughout the week from Brewer Street Car Park in the heart of Soho; you won’t have to go far to enjoy the real Italian coffee experience!

Founded in Turin in 1895, and owned by the Lavazza family for four generations, the company is now among the world’s largest coffee producers. Lavazza’s presence at main international events, such as London Fashion Week, shows their dedication to bringing real Italian espresso around the world. Lavazza will be ensuring the fashion elite get their caffeine fix during London Fashion Week this season with coffee served in special cups designed by Mother of Pearl. Follow @LavazzaUK on Twitter and Instagram to keep updated on all the latest fashion news and backstage gossip.

Maybelline New York

From a small, family-owned business to the number one cosmetics company in America, Maybelline New York takes trends from the catwalk to the sidewalk, empowering women to make a statement, explore new looks, and flaunt their own creativity and individuality. Inspired by confident, accomplished women, Maybelline gives you scientifically-advanced formulas, revolutionary textures and up-to-the minute, trendsetting shades effortlessly, affordably, beautifully.

The May Fair

The Official Hotel to London Fashion Week, The May Fair is in the heart of London’s luxury quarter. With 404 beautifully crafted bedrooms, including twelve of the capital’s most spectacular suites, the hotel enraptures with a luxurious urban spa, 201 seated cinema, Mediterranean inspired May Fair Kitchen, and decadent May Fair Bar.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz, synonymous with style and glamour, is the Official Car Sponsor for London Fashion Week. Providing a luxurious fleet of fuel efficient chauffeured cars, featuring innovative design and the finest materials, Mercedes-Benz ensures guests from around the world arrive in comfort and style at catwalk shows and fashion events during London Fashion Week spring/summer 2017.

Swatch

Swatch, Official Partner of London Fashion Week and Weekend – celebrating style and fashion for over 30 years! An expression of joy and provocative statement, since 1983.

Toni & Guy

Celebrating over a decade as Official Sponsors of London Fashion Week, TONI&GUY continue to support British fashion talent through unique collaborations while leveraging their talented and renowned International Artistic team who create the hair for over 80 runway shows each year. Season after season, TONI&GUY partner with a variety of designers such as GILES, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Pam Hogg, Bass & Brooke, Gareth Pugh, Peter Pilotto and many more. label.m, TONI&GUY’s professional haircare range, is also the Official Hair Care Product of London Fashion Week.

Topshop

Championing fashion’s brightest talent is at the heart of NEWGEN, the British Fashion Council initiative set up in 1993 to support young designers. The Topshop supported scheme offers financial support and showcasing opportunities at London Fashion Week, giving designers the opportunity to present their collections to influential press and buyers from around the world.  

The Vinyl Factory

Established in 2001, The Vinyl Factory Group is an independent British company encompassing a record label, vinyl pressing plant, Phonica and FACT magazine. In addition to its visual arts activities with leading art organisations, it collaborates with musicians and artists to create ultra-premium handmade limited editions and accompanying exhibitions.

Suppliers

Aggreko

Aggreko Event Services specialise in delivering power generation, temperature control and electrical distribution solutions to meet the needs of the event, film and entertainment industry. We offer comprehensive turnkey solutions – from concept design, through to project management and delivery, supporting events such as the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup.

Carabao

Carabao is a new kind of energy drink that is for everyone – one can provide enough strength, stamina and spirit to face every day challenges thrown at you. Available in great tasting original or sugar free, you choose the drink to suit your lifestyle.

evian

evian is proud to be the official water sponsor of London Fashion Week.  evian mineral water springs out as nature intended: naturally pure and uniquely balanced in minerals to provide thirst quenching refreshment.

Fashion and Beauty Monitor

Fashion and Beauty Monitor is the only digital resource that provides influencer, media, PR and brand contacts, news, events and industry intelligence – all in one place. With over 25 years of experience, the world's most successful fashion and beauty professionals rely on the tool to plan, engage and connect in the market. 

LAUNCHMETRICS

Launchmetrics provides the data insight, technology and access to the top influencers you need to accelerate your launch and build strong and lasting exposure. 1,700 global brands use Launchmetrics to manage their entire launch lifecycle – from influencer discovery and intelligence to sample, content, and event management.

MAINETTI

Mainetti are once again very proud to be supporting the British Fashion Council. At Mainetti we offer the complete print and packaging solution for the garment and retail industry. We offer a complete end to end service in multiple locations across a varied range of packaging products.
 
Contact:               sales@uk.mainetti.com
Tel                          +44 1835 862200
Web:                    www.mainetti.com 

Miller Harris

Miller Harris breathes colour and life into the classic perfumer’s art, with couture fragrances that combine Parisian elegance with London’s eclectic street styles. 

PROPERCORN

PROPERCORN is proud to be the snack of London Fashion Week for the 10th season running. Fuelling the model houses, designers and FROW with it's collection of guilt-free popcorn in six bold flavours, PROPERCORN is popcorn done properly. 

Samsung Serif TV

Created for stylish living and not just as a piece of technology, the Samsung Serif TV is a move away from the ubiquitous black box design. Explore the minimal yet stylish ‘I’ shape of the Serif TV, developed in partnership with acclaimed French designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, at LFW this September.

The Store

Operating at the crossroads of art, culture, lifestyle and fashion, The Store offers a new kind of retail, creative and social experience with the world's finest artists, fashion designers, craftsmen, chefs and creatives. The Store is a like minded community brought together online and in incredible spaces.
@thestoresdotcom / thestores.com

Triumph

Triumph International has been crafting innovative, high-quality lingerie since 1886. Triumph, ‘The Maker of Lingerie’, is steeped in 130 years of lingerie expertise, craftsmanship and heritage with a dedication to inspiring feminine confidence at the heart of the brand. As a fit specialist, Triumph is committed to ensuring that women experience the perfect fit. As part of this initiative, Triumph continues to work with the British Fashion Council, supporting London Fashion Week as ‘The Official Catwalk Lingerie Supplier’.

How London Fashion Week can set the stage for a sector-wide sustainability revolution

The catwalk shows for London Fashion Week may be over, but with the event's annual festival set to begin on Thursday (20 September), critical eyes will focus on the environmental and ethical impacts of fast fashion. Here, edie explores four ways that the show can champion sustainable alternatives.

The LFW shows have set the scene for a more sustainable, ethical and inclusive industry - but there is still work to be done

This week saw more than 5,000 people gather in the capital for the 68th iteration of London Fashion Week (LFW), where 80 designers showcased the concepts they see as the future of style. While innovative design has always been among the most-admired traits among brands to showcase their wares at the event, this year’s shows increasingly focused on sustainability, diversity and brand ethics.

This shift in theme is hardly surprising. Given the rise of groups such as Fashion Revolution and initiatives such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative, concerns around fast fashion and cradle-to-grave business models are now seeping into the conscience of fashion brands.

The scale of the problem is clear; the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that the global fashion industry currently loses $460bn due to the underutilisation of clothes, as well as $100bn from clothing that could be used but is lost to landfill and incineration, each year. Similarly, the World Wear Project estimates that the average household generates more than 35kg of waste clothing annually, with 85% being sent to landfill.

Concerns surrounding the resource intensity of producing clothing also continue to persist. WRAP estimates that the average household will generate the carbon equivalent of driving a petrol car for 6,000 miles through purchasing and cleaning new clothes every year.

Aside from the fashion industry’s environmental footprint, campaigners continue to raise the alarm about ethical issues such as the use of fur, modern slavery in textile supply chains and human rights breaches in clothing manufacturing plants.

With this in mind, edie explores four ways in which LFW can showcase the possibility of a sector-wide sustainability revolution.

Kick-starting a resource revolution

The British Fashion Council (BFC) made headlines earlier this month when it announced that LFW 2018 would be one of the first major fashion events to ban the use of animal fur, after a survey of every designer to attend revealed that the majority were removing fur from their products.

"The BFC survey results reflect a cultural change based on ideals and choices made by designer businesses, international brands as well as consumer sentiment but also encouraged by the stance of multi-brand stores who are moving away from selling fur," the council reiterated in a statement. 

Off the back of the fur ban, Friends of the Earth has called for plastics to be banned at the 2019 event after its own research found that clothes washing in the UK generates around 4,000 tonnes of plastic microfibre pollution every year.

The campaign group believes that this figure is so high because around two-thirds of clothing purchased nationwide annually is made with a synthetic plastic of some description - polyester, acrylic and polyamide being the most common materials.

Some of the designers to have showcased at this year’s event have already made moves to remove plastic from their products. Vin + Omi, for example, showcased dresses made from a flax and parsley-based fabric called Flaxley, alongside hybrid metal fabrics made from cans collected by homeless people on a support programme in Birmingham.  

As innovations such as fabric made from recycled cow dung and shoes made with discarded chewing gum continue to emerge, we could soon come to see circular products as the height of fashion.

Creating demand for second-hand products

The value of unused clothing in wardrobes worldwide has been estimated at around £30bn and, with social media influencers and high-street brands changing their look every few months to keep up with fast fashion trends, the outlook for extending the life cycle of clothing doesn’t look particularly promising at first glance. 

Indeed, Reebok estimates the world has now reached a point where 20 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually, with the majority comprising of at least one hard-to-recycle rubber component.

Nonetheless, the industry has made strong progress in recent times to create demand for second-hand apparel. VF Corporation, for example, recently introduced a thriving take-back scheme for older garments. Called “Renewed” and operated through the company’s The North Face brand, the scheme acts as an online hub to sell refurbished products that are sourced from returned, damaged or defective apparel.

Similarly, more and more vintage stores selling refurbished garments are appearing across London, with Shoreditch-based Beyond Retro having recently launched a range of upcycled products made from “unfashionable” or end-of-life items.

Big-name retailers are also making moves to drive consumer appetite for recycled garments, with H&M's charitable arm, the H&M Foundation, having this summer launched a hydrothermal textile recycling plant. The Foundation’s recycling method involves using heat, water and a blend of biodegradable chemicals to separate cotton and polyester from mixed fabrics. Once the fibres are separated, they can be sorted for reuse in new garments, including jeans.

Brands are already beginning to reap the rewards of these closed-loop approaches. VF Corporation’s sustainability and senior director Anna Maria Rugarli, for example, recently told edie that such business models were attracting new customers and building brand loyalty while championing the importance of sustainability.

While LFW is yet to host a show dedicated to promoting second-hand or upcycled garments, this year’s agenda did feature an event revealing how brands such as Studio Pia, We-Resonate and Bourgeois Boheme are building the business case for ‘slow’ fashion.

Focusing on purpose rather than products

By 2025, three-quarters of the UK's working population will be millennials that want to buy from companies that have a purpose beyond their products and operations. Indeed, recent research from communications agency FleishmanHillard Fishburn (FHF) revealed that 93% of the millennial generation want to buy from companies that have purpose, sustainability and environmental stewardship built into their ethos. 

With this in mind, the likes of Patagonia, VF Corporation and even Nike have moved to become “brands taking stands” by engaging in brand activism, with the latter reporting a 31% increase in sales after launching an advertising campaign starring #TakeAKnee founder Colin Kaepernick.