A gender-neutral approach and a focus on films are highlights of this weekend’s launch, which begins tomorrow.
In April, the British Fashion Council announced it would be merging the gendered calendars of London Fashion Week into one digital platform to replace catwalk shows for the time being. Tomorrow would’ve marked the beginning of the men’s presentations for Spring 2021; but instead of members of the fashion industry flocking to the city to check out next season’s wares, now everyone – from buyers and press to the general public – will be able to get a glimpse of designers’ upcoming and current collections and more over the next three days.
The new #LFWreset, as it’s being called on social, will include film offerings from brands like Nicholas Daley, Marques’Almeida and Teatum Jones. There will also be a panel discussion about sustainability, and conversations with designers including Christopher Raeburn, Hussein Chalayan and Bianca Saunders. Daniel W. Fletcher, who appeared on the Netflix series Next In Fashion, will launch a ready-to-buy collection; and Central Saint Martins and the University of Westminster will present their graduate collections.
One of the previous calendar’s most boisterous shows always came from Charles Jeffrey, and his label Loverboy is tapped to do a live event at the weekend’s close; if his past runway events are any indication, it’s not to be missed. But really, it would behoove any fashion lover, as well as those who question fashion week’s validity and are concerned about the industry’s impact, to log in and observe what was previously filtered through the lens of a few eyes and select voices. LFW’s novel approach is the first of the four major fashion weeks to launch its updated course, and it will be our initial glimpse of where the industry is headed in terms of brands taking more ownership over how they present their work, grow momentum and foster community.