In 1984, London Fashion Week was held in a Kensington car park. Forty years later, this event is still at the top of every fashionista’s diary. We talk to the women behind this global sensation and take a look at what’s changed in the past 40 years.
advertisementFirst ever edition london fashion week The event was held in a tent in a Kensington car park in 1984, when the newly formed British Fashion Council hosted a brand new three-day event dedicated to British designers.
Legendary PR Lynne Franks, who started her own agency at the age of 21, was one of the masterminds behind London Fashion Week.
“The designers were young, straight out of art school, with big dreams, great talent, but very little backing,” Franks told Euronews Culture.
new york fashion week London has been in operation since 1943, Milan in 1958 and Paris in 1973. London was playing catch-up in a sense, but it was also rebellious. That meant doing things our own way.
“While Italian and French designers were making huge amounts of money on accessories, perfumes and licensing, we weren’t there yet. Many British designers were making just enough money for their next collection. I was making money,” Franks explains.
Fashion remains an essential part of the UK economy, with sales of women’s clothing expected to be around €37bn (approx. £31.9bn) and men’s clothing sales of around €18bn (approx. £15.6bn) in 2023. ).
Thatcher also took part in it.
Lynne Franks’ powers of persuasion led her to persuade businessman Mohan Murjani to support the first edition of LFW. With a budget of around €23,000 (£20,000), her team got to work.
“We were able to put the event together in about six months. It started with coming up with the idea, finding the right people, venue and raising the funds,” Franks told Euronews Culture. Told.
The first edition was a success and the British establishment jumped on board. Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher held a reception for young designers at 10 Downing Street.
It was a landmark moment for British fashion, as well as a fashion statement moment, when designer Katharine Hamnett met Margaret Thatcher wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with an anti-nuclear missile message.
Despite this warm reception, designers also faced hostility, with celebrities and members of the royal family beginning to wear British designers and joining LFW.
“The British press wrote things that didn’t support British designers, and most of the criticism was based on the fact that they didn’t have the same budgets as European designers,” explains Franks. To remedy this, she set up a press committee with a team of journalists and former Vogue editor Liz Tilberis to support British designers.
reinvent yourself
The woman behind it all, Lynne Franks, is no longer involved in London Fashion Week, but she’s had time to reflect on it all. 40 years have passed since her first fashion week. She believes that she is the only key to the survival of this event.
“Sustainability wasn’t something I thought about at the time, it was about having fun and keeping designers in business. Something I had never told anyone before was how important Fashion Week is now. You may be wondering: What I’m focusing on now is how can I revamp things? Do I need that many collections?”
the first designers
Acclaimed member of British fashion royalty, Betty Jackson attended the inaugural London Fashion Week alongside John Galliano and others.
Jackson had already begun to establish himself as a designer, and was known for clothing that incorporated artwork and prints, paired with hats and flat shoes.
“For a long time, London fashion and British designers weren’t taken seriously. People used to come to London to get ideas, but go to Paris or Milan to spend their money. Many of us young designers in the UK were new to the game and didn’t have large industry backers,” Jackson explains.
For Jackson, the 1980s and the arrival of London Fashion Week were a turning point. American investors were becoming more interested in young British designers, and they had large sums of money to invest.
advertisementShe recalls her first show in 1984. “It was really packed. We were doing all this before the internet and cell phones. So if you wanted to see what was going on, you had to go there. ”
Jackson remains enthusiastic about London Fashion Week, saying, “It was a very exciting time. And now it’s even more exciting.”
When influencers sit front row at LFW
One of the major changes since LFW’s inception has been the advent of social media, which has become popular since 2010. The tight control that fashion editors and journalists once had over setting trends and selecting designers who gain fame is waning.
“Digital media has disrupted some of the exclusivity of London Fashion Week, but it has also meant that influencers have in some ways democratized fashion,” says Caroline Stephenson, Director of the Fashion Studies Program at UAL, London College of Fashion. explains.
“More people coming to the shows means a more diverse group of people who critique and are interested in fashion. There’s going to be more pressure,” Stevenson said.
advertisementYoung British designers are moving overseas
Many of Britain’s hottest emerging designers, including SS Daly, Robin Lynch and Dilara Findikoglu, did not host catwalk shows during last autumn/winter fashion week. They cite the cost of putting on the show as a major factor weighing this decision.
“London Fashion Week is becoming increasingly professional and there is a risk of missing out on talent because young people cannot afford to take part. It’s too expensive to set up a studio,” Stevenson says.
“With Brexit, more young people are moving abroad. The cost of doing business and new trade laws make things even more complicated. They may train in London, but much of their business is going abroad. Yes, and I’ll be back soon for the LFW show,” Stevenson said.