Once upon a time, London Fashion Week was a place of chaos, intensity and artistic courage, reserved for the insiders. No celebrities, and no phones. The time when fashion was raw and rebellious, indifferent to commercial interests and almost allergic to the very word “commercial.” The times change. It would be silly to expect London Fashion Week to be what it once was. Today, we are celebrating 40 years of style but in a slightly different tone.
Traditional and Modern
London Fashion Week is still very much about fashion, colours and fabrics. However, LFW cares about modern trends as well. This was perhaps best portrayed on the opening day, when models went out with pre-owned clothes, sending a strong sustainability and environmentally friendly message. The British Fashion Council has put the show together with eBay, which provided second-hand items. The items were put for sale afterward. The co-host of the show, model Leomie Anderson, said “people’s perception of pre-loved fashion should be if an item looks good, I’m going to get it”, adding that “you can find something that is still current but already exists”. Sustainability seems to be an organic thing in fashion, as trends often repeat. London Fashion Week 2024 showcased this beautifully.
This year London Fashion Week felt more polished and grown-up than ever before. Most shows have moved to central London, and the season ended with a party at 10 Downing Street. Some may ask, why celebrate the 40th anniversary? Why not wait for the 50th, a bigger number, and some may say a more important one? Well, according to Caroline Rush, the chief executive of the British Fashion Council, 40 is more symbolic. In life, 40 marks middle age, at least psychologically. Mortality enters the equation. Limits start to become more obvious. Once limitless world suddenly feels more claustrophobic, and dreams may be compromised for comfort.
Even many of the buzziest next-gen labels, like Standing Ground and Nensi Dojaka, seem less sold on disruption than on the idea that small and steady wins the race, rather opting for elegant sunglasses for women that blend innovative design with wearability, than crazy never-seen-before accessories.
Commercialized Nature Reflected Through Burberry’s Influence
Remember, back in 1997, an American exec Rose Marie Bravo, decided that Burberry, which had until then been mainly known as Britain’s go-to maker of trench coats, should take a leaf from those colossal French heritage brands. Get a proper designer. Do a runway show. Seize the spotlight. The idea, naturally, was that its sheer scale and turnover would crown it as the industry’s new gravitational hub.
And that’s exactly what happened. Burberry became the story of London fashion after the turn of the century. The Burberry-ization of it all, if you will. These days, the brand is one with a glittering guest list. Barry Keoghan, Skepta, Olivia Colman, Normani. Yet, strangely enough, despite its clout, the company finds itself facing all sorts of economic misfortunes. Sales sliding, stock plummeting, even slipping out of the FTSE 100 for the first time in 15 years. Their designer Daniel Lee is playing it safe with outerwear. Trench coast, parkas, leather jackets. Very competent work, easy to wear, sure — but also? Well, uninspired. Here we are, four seasons later, and Mr. Lee is still shuffling around the edges, trying to figure out what his Burberry is. Meanwhile, it’s just motions. No one really needs extra motions. And Burberry is perhaps the best example of how to describe LFW 2024. Jogged memories of what once was, rather than planting ideas of what could be.
Is London Fashion Week Losing the Global Appeal?
Despite the long tradition, some concerns aris about the global appeal of the LFW. There’s no denying – it was much more visible in the past decades. Nowadays, even British designers are choosing Paris, New York or Milan to showcase their collections. Victoria Beckham is perhaps the best example. She participated regularly, but changed her focus to Paris in 2022, not returning to London. It’s not just Victoria, but also Craig Green and many menswear designers like Grace Wales Bonner. Obviously, the reason behind this is also some financial incentives.
As always, it’s not all gray. London Fashion Week already has some big names planned for 2025, like Burberry and JW Anderson who decided to showcase their Spring Summer collection. London Fashion Week is also one of the key events for launching careers, the best example lately being the Puppets & Puppets.
