A place where style, culture, innovation and ingenuity collide, it’s no wonder London Fashion Week is a hot ticket, and it’s been that way for the past 40 years. Look beneath the fashionable facade, and not only does it act as a global showcase of talent, it’s where talent is nurtured and supported.
To mark the 40-year milestone, of course, there were plenty of runways from established designers and newcomers, cue the BFC NEWGEN recipients, the iconic British luxury brand Burberry, as well as other favourites such as Emilia Wickstead, Erdem, JW Anderson, Richard Quinn, and Simone Rocha to name a few (to note, over 100 brands took part).
Fashion week isn’t fashion week without a party, and there were plenty of those too, alongside fun and commercial activations; from Mercury Prize winner Femi Koleoso’s “Love Letter to London” to the opening of the London Stock Exchange, and afternoon tea at 10 Downing Street, the aim was to highlight the creativity and economic impact of the industry.
Led by Caroline Rush CBE, the woman at the helm of the British Fashion Council, she shares her highlights of this LFW anniversary year.
40 Years of London Fashion Week
2024 marks the 40th year of London Fashion Week, an occasion to honour four decades of not just the event itself but of the entire creative community that make it possible. This season was full of innovative shows and passionate designers who I could not be more proud of.
JW Anderson, Simone Rocha, Erdem, Roksanda, 16Arlington, David Koma and Ahluwalia went from strength to strength. Labrum brought his whole team out for the finale, Emilia Wickstead’s show reflected her own cool understated chic style, Richard Quinn’s was a breath-taking performance, all at our BFC NEWGEN venue are stars in ascent, and Burberry’s coats and bags were coveted by the buyers which is always great news!
London Fashion Week x 1664 Blanc
We kicked off by announcing 1664 Blanc as our year-long Principal Partner of London Fashion Week. This means we can continue to support our designers, and we started the celebrations with the LFW Opening Party and an incredible performance by Grace Carter – a fun and apt way to mark the beginning of a great partnership.
“Love letter to London” by Femi Koleoso
On Valentine’s Day we dropped our “Love Letter to London,” a heartfelt message written by the incredibly talented Femi Koleoso from Mercury Prize winning band Ezra Collective on behalf of LFW which was performed by a selection of creatives reflecting their love of London.
LFW lights up London
LFW took over the city yet again! We launched a disruptive flyposter campaign across London featuring imagery from our BFC NEWGEN designers and turned key landmarks such as the London Eye, Royal Opera House and Southbank our campaign green.
Afternoon tea at 10 Downing Street
We ended the week with an Afternoon Tea at 10 Downing Street to rally government support for the creative industries where my call to action to bring back tax free shopping was met with a respectful applause – we continue to state the case to support our industry whenever we can!
Opening the London Stock Market
Opening the London Stock Market was a first for all of us and a great reminder of the significant economic impact the British fashion and creative industries have on the city, The City, and wider world.
Lunar New Year with Self Portrait
Celebrating Lunar New Year alongside the fun-filled Han Chong (Self-Portrait) was so much fun, surrounded by friends and delicious food in Chinatown. We danced and sang Karaoke until the early hours – would you believe me if I told you that I ‘sang’ ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ with Wolfgang Tillmans? Note the inverted commas around sang—my voice is not my forte!
Creativity on top
Needless to say, it was a brilliant way to kick off our 40th anniversary. February was a standout season with the packed schedule setting the tone for what will be a major year of celebration. I hope all audiences saw incredible creativity, creativity without guardrails, creativity like you see nowhere else! And with that creativity comes oodles of fun and an opportunity to remember why we love the fashion industry so much!
See more from the BFC at britishfashioncouncil.co.uk
