Marking her first season as CEO of the British Fashion Council, Laura Weir formally opened London Fashion Week this morning with a transparent message: that is the start of a brand new period for British trend.
“London Fashion Week is a sensational showcase of creative fashion design talent. I have an ambition to make fashion’s most magnetic exposition of excellence, in the world,” she stated.
Weir’s vision is rooted in accessibility, cultural relevance, and international visibility. She’s already making strikes to take away obstacles and inject new vitality into the schedule – loosening entry standards, waiving charges, and guaranteeing the occasion displays the complete scope of British trend creativity nationwide.
This season, the schedule welcomes again key names together with Ashley Williams, Barbour, Alessandra Rich, and Alice Temperley, with a mixture of exhibits, displays, and shopping for appointments. “It is just the beginning,” Weir shared.
“Secondly, we have doubled down on ambition,” she added, referencing elevated funding within the International Guest Programme, whose presence is “vital” for amplifying British expertise on the worldwide stage.
Weir additionally mirrored on her go to to Parliament earlier this week, the place a debate, tabled by former ASOS purchaser and MP Rosie Wrighting, centered on the cultural contribution of London Fashion Week.
“One MP said the success of London Fashion Week is in the national interest – I could not agree more. Another reflected that there was no better showcase of British values out there. And yet, we know as an industry that there is often a lapse of respect for fashion and the contribution it brings to the UK,” Weir mirrored.
“This is not only a reset for the sake of it – the time is true and the time is now. Because when the lights go up on the catwalk, sure, we see the vision of a designer. We see craft, heritage, innovation and artwork. But stage left; there’s one other huge, unseen military at work.
“Seamstresses and sample cutters, tailors and textile specialists, lighting technicians and sound engineers, drivers ready within the rain, garment baggage being couriered by London streets. Hotel rooms booked, black cabs hailed – each stylist, photographer, hairdresser, make-up artist, nail tech and mannequin represents the residing economic system of London Fashion Week.
“That economy touches caterers, cleaners, printers, film crews, florists and thousands more. They are not peripheral figures and they certainly aren’t fluffy. They are the lifeblood of industry.”
She closed with a rallying cry: “The world is watching this week. Let us show them what only London can do.”
This season’s runway calendar options an thrilling mix of heritage labels and bold newcomers. Burberry, Simone Rocha, Emilia Wickstead, and Erdem are again, whereas Roksanda celebrates her twentieth anniversary with a present positive to focus on her signature mastery of color and kind.
There’s additionally a spirit of experimentation: Irish designer JW Anderson will forgo a conventional runway in favour of a “special evening event”, reflecting how manufacturers are evolving their storytelling and cultural presence.
And as all the time, NEWGEN, the BFC’s rising expertise initiative, continues to shine. This season, Aaron Esh, Johanna Parv, and Karoline Vitto are among the many rising stars main the cost.