Fashion

London Fashion Week Relaunch As A “Digital Only Platform,” Reveals Virtual Lineup

By Donovan | June 11, 2020 0 Comments

Burberry Spring 2020 Menswear.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — Last March 2020, D.M. Fashion Book reported that the British Fashion Council said the men’s shows in London scheduled for June will not happen due to the worldwide spread of the coronavirus, and that the organisation “is looking at new ways to digitalise their fashion showcase platforms” (see it here).

In April 2020, it was announced that LFW will relaunch as a “digital only platform” that will be open to all and will cover both menswear and womenswear.

The news that the new format will also include womenswear hints at further disruption to the fashion schedule, with women’s fashion weeks in September also set to be dramatically affected by the coronavirus crisis. The digital-led London Fashion Week includes all fashion weeks that would be happening in London for the next 12 months.

The statement from the British Fashion Council also reveals that the format of individual shows will change, allowing “designers to tell their stories through collections, creative collaborations, podcasts and videos.” The official relaunch will happen on June 12 through the London Fashion Week website, where you can currently sign up for updates on the new format.

Announcing the news, BFC Chief Executive Caroline Rush explained that, “The other side of this crisis, we hope will be about sustainability, creativity and product that you value, respect, cherish. By creating a cultural fashion week platform, we are adapting digital innovation to best fit our needs today and something to build on as a global showcase for the future. Designers will be able to share their stories, and for those that have them, their collections, with a wider global community; we hope that as well as personal perspectives on this difficult time, there will be inspiration in bucketloads.”

The British Fashion Council has just released more details about what to expect when it launches this weekend.

From Friday, the London Fashion Week website will relaunch as a “digital platform,” aimed at both industry figures and consumers. The BFC have invited designers, brands, media companies, retailers, and other creatives to submit content for inclusion on the platform, which will be free for members of the public to access.

Designers including Marques’Almeida and Robyn Lynch are showcasing smaller capsule collections, while others are opting out of showing clothes entirely: Bianca Saunders will be hosting a panel discussion with SHOWSTUDIO, while designers including RAEBURN and Daniel W. Fletcher are contributing “conversations” instead of presenting collections. The platform will also host podcasts and playlists created by a host of creatives and brands: ART SCHOOL, Ahluwalia, and the retailer Browns are among those who have contributed.

While the lineup is dominated by emerging brands, notably absent from the schedule are most of London’s internationally recognizable names. Burberry, which typically shows its collections in London during February and September, has not participated. Other absentees include Britain’s most successful independent designers: Martine Rose, Wales Bonner, and A-COLD-WALL* are currently opting out, as is Craig Green, who moved his runway shows to Paris in January this year.