London Fashion Week opens with Charli XCX party and secondhand catwalks

A highly anticipated party hosted by retailer H&M and pop star Charli XCX is set to shake things up when London Fashion Week kicks off on Thursday alongside two sustainability-focused shows.

The LFW Spring Summer 2025 schedule, which runs until Tuesday, had been set for weeks when the Swedish fast fashion giant burst onto the scene announcing a collaboration with the British singer, eclipsing the big name designers.

“Forget the luxury catwalk shows… The only entrance anyone cares about is the one to the H&M party,” said London's The Standard newspaper.

The Times newspaper called the event “the hottest ticket for London Fashion Week”.

The past few months have been dubbed “the summer of bratty girls” following the explosive popularity of Charli XCX's latest hyperpop album, “Brat,” which has been named everywhere from social media to politics… and now fashion.

The trend emphasizes an aesthetic and lifestyle inspired by Charli's clubby album that delivers a heavy dose of party girl energy with undertones of youthful anxiety.

The collaboration is “exciting,” said Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council.

The BFC is celebrating the 40th anniversary of London Fashion Week and racing to remain relevant to younger audiences after an exodus of designers over the past two decades.

Over the next week, 72 designers will present collections featuring LFW mainstays JW Anderson, Erdem, Paul Costelloe and Burberry, as well as emerging designers.

It also includes shows at the BFC's NEWGEN space, which supports emerging creatives.

However, some designers, such as cult favourite Dilara Findikoglu, have been absent from successive fashion weeks due to funding constraints.

“I think it's a challenging time for the industry, for small independents,” said BFC's Rush, citing the pandemic and the challenges posed by post-Brexit shipping rates.

Pre-loved

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Attention will also be paid to sustainability in the fashion industry, one of the world's biggest polluters.

A report by the non-profit group Collective Fashion Justice released ahead of fashion week said less than four per cent of BFC members have published emissions reduction targets.

Brands like H&M, Shein and Zara have come under fire in recent years for their fast fashion practices: mass-producing cheap clothing to keep up with rapidly changing trends, often at the expense of environmental and labor protections.

In the run-up to H&M's LFW event, in an attempt to present itself as a more exclusive brand, the retailer deleted all of its previous Instagram posts before sharing a photo of Charli XCX wearing a leopard-print coat from its new collection.

One social media user commented on the post, comparing the marketing strategy to fast fashion: “Get rid of everything you owned to buy the new collection.”

H&M says it uses recycled materials among other initiatives to reduce its impact on the climate.

By a twist of fate, H&M will team up on opening night with two “pre-loved” catwalks that aim to encourage slow, cyclical fashion.

Charity Oxfam and online secondhand marketplace Vinted have teamed up for a fair showcasing used and recycled clothing.

Online auction platform eBay will also host its first-ever LFW “Endless Runway” catwalk featuring pre-owned and haute couture garments that will be sold on the secondhand website’s live shopping platform at the same time as the show.