London Fashion Week hopes to usher in new era with leadership change

London Fashion Week, under new leadership after 16 years, begins Thursday in hopes of revitalizing its catwalk calendar and easing the financial woes of its young designers.

“This season marks… the beginning of a new era for British fashion,” said Laura Weir, former creative director of luxury department store Selfridges, who replaced Caroline Rush as head of the British Fashion Council (BFC) in April.

Weir faces an uphill battle to allay concerns about fashion week's relevance and international standing, given the recent departures of fashion's big names for their star-studded counterparts in Milan, Paris and New York.

“My main goal is to ensure that London Fashion Week remains the definitive platform to showcase and celebrate the best of British creativity, while continuing to support the designers who have built the foundations of British fashion and broken new ground internationally,” Weir told AFP ahead of LFW.

The June edition of LFW, initially launched to focus on men's fashion, was canceled this year and replaced by a simple retail showroom in Paris.

After a lackluster schedule in February, marked by several no-shows as some designers opted to stage only one show a year due to high costs, the BFC is hoping for a more exciting program this time around.

To ease the financial burden, “we've waived membership fees to make the platform more accessible to designers,” Weir said.

The former Vogue journalist said the BFC had also “curated a program that speaks to the cultural relevance of London” and “doubled down our investment in our international guest program to ensure the big buyers, media and cultural voices are here in London.”

Since taking the helm, Weir has increased scholarship funding and secured a three-year funding commitment for the NewGen program, which supports young emerging designers, according to British Vogue.

Scraps of fabric, crinolines

Despite its recent troubles, LFW remains a hub for discovering new and exciting fashion talent, thanks in part to the NewGen incubator.

Several designers have launched successful fashion careers thanks to her endorsement, such as Irish designer Simone Rocha, known for her Victorian-style dresses adorned with lace and crinoline, or London-based Richard Quinn, whose elegant designs received the approval of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

LFW kicks off on Thursday with up-and-coming British designer Maximilian Raynor, who has been recognized for his commitment to sustainable fashion, whose designs often feature scraps of fabric.

That runway will be followed by Harris Reed, the young British-American designer and creative director of Nina Ricci, whose gender-fluid designs have enchanted LFW attendees since he burst onto the scene five years ago.

In other good news for LFW, JW Anderson will return to the calendar after skipping the February issue.

This year, however, the brand will forego the runway in favor of a scaled-down dinner, as this summer Dior entrusted the artistic direction of all of its collections, including men's, women's and couture, to the prodigal son, Jonathan Anderson.

After stepping down as creative director of Spanish brand Loewe earlier this year, the Northern Irish designer has reorientated his own brand towards a “lifestyle” concept, incorporating furniture, tableware, artisanal objects and even honey.

Also presenting their spring/summer collections will be British fashion icons such as Paul Costelloe and Burberry, who weathered the storm of a difficult year for luxury fashion and American tariffs, as well as London catwalk regulars Roksanda and Dilara Findikoglu.