London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London, UK, twice a year, in February and September. The event showcases over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers. It is one of the "Big Five" global fashion weeks alongside Milan, Paris, New York, and Tokyo.[2][3][4]
History and Organisation
Organized by the British Fashion Council (BFC) for the London Development Agency with help from the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills, London Fashion Week first took place in February 1984.[1]Lynne Franks had influenced the idea of putting together the London shows into a schedule.[5]
It currently ranks alongside New York, Paris, and Milan as one of the 'Big Four' fashion weeks.[6] It presents itself to funders[7] as a trade event that also attracts significant press attention and benefits taxpayers. Over 5,000 press and buyers, with orders of over £100 million.[8] A retail-focused event, London Fashion Week Festival, takes place immediately afterward at the same venue and is open to the general public.[9]
On-schedule events used to take place either at the British Fashion Council's own show space, 180 Strand, or at external locations around central London.
During SS16 (shown September 2015) and AW16 (shown February 2016), British Fashion Council made the decision to host the designers' showrooms at the 'Vinyl Factory', situated at the active car park in Soho, off Brewer Street.[10]
Following increasing numbers of anti-fur protesters, the London Fashion Week held in September 2018 was the first major fashion week to be fur-free.[11]
Events
Portrait of a female model made at London Fashion Week in 2016
Live Streaming
In 2009, Burberry returned from showing in Milan to showing in London and the show was live-streamed. This began an era of “see now, buy now” shows.[5] In spring 2010, London Fashion Week became the first of the “Big Four” fashion weeks to offer designers showing collections on the catwalk at Somerset House the opportunity to broadcast their shows live on the Internet.[12]
London Fashion Week Men's
In June 2012, London introduced London Collections: Men, in addition to the collections, shows in spring/summer and autumn/winter. Since its first installment, the showcase has grown by 67% and included 77 separate designers in June 2015.[13]
London Collections: Men’s name was changed from the Autumn/Winter 2017 season as London Fashion Week Men's, to help better reflect the growing consumer focus of the event.[14]
London Fashion Week Festival
Following London Fashion Week each season, the 4-day London Fashion Week Festival (LFWF), formerly known as London Fashion Weekend, offers a consumer-orientated fashion week experience.[15]
Held at The Store Studios, 180 The Strand, LFWF allows consumers to shop a curated edit of designer collections at show-exclusive prices, sit front row at catwalk shows by London Fashion Week designers, get a head start on the key trends of the coming season and listen to talks by industry experts.[16]
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fashion weeks.
