London Fashion Week has begun, marking the bi-annual event’s 40th anniversary.
Since its inception in 1984, the event has grown from an avant-garde show to a mega event in the fashion industry. This year’s London Fashion Week (LFW) kicked off this week at the London Stock Exchange, demonstrating the importance of the fashion industry to the world. British economy. UK women’s clothing sales alone are worth an estimated £30.9 billion, according to Mintel data.
But the world has changed a lot in the past 40 years. So, does he still have a place in LFW today?
Dr Benjamin Wilde, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Narratives at Manchester Metropolitan University, believes so.
“Fashion is an industry that contributes just over 3% to a country’s GDP. I think London takes that very seriously from a diversity and social responsibility perspective as well. With three fashion weeks, I think it’s essential to be different,” says Wilde.
First organized by the British Fashion Council in February 1984, London Fashion Week is held twice a year, in February and September.
When it launched, there were already three established fashion weeks taking place in Paris, New York and Milan, and London was seen as the industry’s “interloper”.
“It’s always been said, and I think it’s true. London Fashion Week has always been associated with innovation since its inception, and there is a greater sense of freedom in terms of its creativity,” Wilde said. added.
“It captures something quintessentially British or British in that it’s a bit rebellious, a bit playful, and defying the norm. That’s what makes London Fashion Week different from other fashion weeks. I think we’ve established ourselves as something that stands out.For the last 40 years, London Fashion Week has always had an angle, a point of view and, if you like, a very important territory. It’s pretty unique.”
In March 1984, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher hosted a reception to celebrate London Fashion Week, British designer Katharine Hamnett responded to the negative opinion poll by saying, “58% preferred Pershing.” He caused controversy by wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “I don’t want it.” Pershing II missiles are deployed domestically.
Wiles believes politics permeates LFW more than any other fashion week around the world, adding: “Fashion is a mirror of society.”
Since the 80s, LFW has established itself as a giant in the fashion industry and is now a highly anticipated event on the fashion calendar.
However, the show’s exclusivity has drawn criticism, with Wilde saying the catwalk is not “particularly democratic”, although digital screens were installed at LFW 2009 at Somerset House to stage the event. We believe that events such as holding events change with the times. Accessible.
“road [designers] “Communication with our audiences, whether through digital technology or not, has evolved over the last 40 years,” added Wilde.
London has always been a center for innovative fashion, and in the 1980s, for example, a group of designers called Body Map created designs that didn’t follow the body’s natural silhouette.
Wilde said London Fashion Week continues to push boundaries, starting with the first London Collection: Men’s in 2012 and moving to a single gender-neutral event in 2020. The academic added that difference and diversity is “a big part of the DNA of this event”.
But there has been a backlash over the years, with Extinction Rebellion recently disrupting an event criticizing the use of plastic and calling for LFW to sever ties with Coca-Cola.
Despite this, Wilde argues that LFW will still have value in 2024, but acknowledges that it will need to evolve to remain relevant. This is especially true in terms of sustainability/environmental impact and accessibility.
“We are committed to sustainability following a number of recent reports, not only from the industry itself but also from other international organizations, that the fashion industry is failing to meet and contribute to the sustainability targets set. ‘I’m thinking about it more and more,”’ Wilde points out.
He also thinks it’s important to ask whether we should move more online if we want to “become more relevant.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, when gatherings were limited to small groups, organizers pivoted their approach by digitizing the show and live streaming it online. Wilde believes this is the “hybridity and balance between physical and digital” that he thinks we’ll see more of in the future.
He further adds: “I think it’ll be interesting to see how it evolves. I think since the pandemic, the fashion industry is currently trying to adjust its priorities. Our clothes are material things. Therefore, although the physical needs will always be there, we are increasingly conscious of sustainability.
“This year’s London Fashion Week will see further efforts to highlight the capital’s cultural elements, including holding events across multiple venues and attracting people who are not often associated with fashion.”