Why London Fashion Week Needs a Face

By Sara Darling

Reacting speedily to George Floyds’ death, many designers at this season's fashion week alluded to racial prejudice within the fashion industry. The timing came as the conventional shows were replaced by London's first ever digital broadcast- which celebrated a more cultural offering across social channels.

Without the presence of a catwalk, cocktail parties, paps and quarterly fashion family reunion, British Fashion Council’s Caroline Rush, announced that the biannual London Fashion Week Men's would become a digital-only, gender-neutral event for the first time in its 40-year history. The decision to move to a virtual showcase marks the industry’s attempt to adhere to social distancing guidelines brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic. 

In the absence of physical shows, the three day event which took place across London Fashion Week’s website on 12-14th June, allowed designers to present a wide variety of virtual content, consisting of short films, interviews, podcasts and interactive showrooms, and isolation after-parties.

Following a timetable which was not anywhere near as manic as traditional fashion week, the platform provided all participating designers with an equal voice, and resulted in an output which was more focussed on ethos rather than design. 

However, the online presentations felt rather flat in comparison to previous seasons. No offence to the designers, but pre-recorded videos, or conversations can’t compete with the buzz of a catwalk show, with real models, snaking queues, the flash of cameras in the pit, and getting dressed up on a weekend to march around central London. On the other hand, this enabled a global audience the opportunity to get a front row seat of the “London look’. Another benefit of digital streaming, is that the content will remain live for several months- which is a fashion first for fans who are not in the industry. 

Notably menswear stalwarts: Craig Green, Art School, Matty Bovan, Edward Crutchley and A-Cold-Wall, chose not show at this gender neutral showcase; but LFWM has always had Ambassadors, and high-profile supporters such as Tinie Tempah, took part in an online discussion with Dylan Jones, while the Arsenal defender Héctor Bellerín chatted race, meditation, veganism and famous football kits in a special-edition LFW podcast.

Out of 100 designers, there were 34 on the official schedule- including Rixo, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Palmer Harding, Roksanda, Mulberry and Stephen Jones. The remainder of new and emerging makers were celebrated in the “Explore” section, which got just as much air time. 

Hussein Chalayan pulled in more than 250 viewers to his Instagram Live slot, where he chatted with Norwegian publisher Elise by Olsen. Discussing the state of fast fashion consumerism and Covid-19, he revealed that his immediate plans were to  focus on building his existing inventory and re-merchandising classic designs from the archive, which seemed to please his fans.

Retaining a presence at LFWM was important for London based Nicholas Daley. Even though he was not able to complete a collection due to lockdown logistics, he showcased a short film by Amy Douglas. Renowned for fusing elements of his Scottish and Jamaican heritage, he worked closely with Amy to create a film using behind-the-scenes footage of last season’s catwalk show, as a celebration of his work to date.

Another designer, Bianca Saunders, was not able to produce a collection due to the struggles of lockdown- however, she used this opportunity as a platform to launch her new ‘zine. Entitled ‘We Are One Of The Same’. The small, but perfectly formed  concept magazine, was shot in New York in April 2019. Focussing on a set of male and female twins wearing archive pieces from Saunders' SS19 and AW19 collection, the photography and clothing is still relevant. Discussing the state of the fashion industry with her collaborators: Joshua Woods, stylist Matt Holmes and model Jess Cole, the creative team answered questions from the online audience. 

Often designers don’t get much chance to be recognised, as they let their clothes do the talking, but Daniel W Fletcher is an exception, having appeared on Netflix fashion wars “Next in Fashion” (and won). Daniel is charismatic and eloquent, and discussed fashion and the theme of his collection with friend, and journalist Naomi Pike on Instagram Live. He was able to work remotely with his team via Zoom to create his preppy, genderless collection, and it was available to buy directly from his e-commerce site, straight after his feature.

Rising star, and LVMH Prize winner, Priya Ahluwalia, staged a virtual-reality-enhanced exhibition of photographs, from her second, limited-edition book, “Jalebi.” The photographs, shot by Laurence Ellis, trace strands of the designer’s work and what it means to be a young mixed-heritage person living in modern Britain, providing a personal journey, which doesn’t focus on a new collection, but provides a stimulating 3D rendering in a space that is viewed by countless people, rather than a select few.

Charles Jeffrey’s LOVERBOY label was another one of the few LFW designers who managed to create a collection during the pandemic. The 20-piece unisex range consists of oversized knits, hoodies, T-shirts and tracksuit bottoms, and contains self portraiture images, capture during a period of self-reflection and isolation.  When it goes on sale in December, 5% of sales will be donated to LGBT+ charity Kaleidoscopic Trust.

Giving a platform for new talent, this season’s LFW showcased young brand LYPH (Live Young Play Hard), founded by creative director Frederick Edmonson; only in it’s third season, the collection was presented as a film, which revealed a unisex range of garments, made from up-cycled fabrics, which can be unzipped and customised for a truly personal fashion experience.

With the traditional format a no-go under, LFWM has ditched elitist traditions in favour of digital content accessible to all, and only time will tell how successful the digital fashion weeks will be. Expected to attract millions of viewers far beyond the traditional attendees, the platform may appeal to some and repel others who shy away from anything creative apart from clothing. 

Questions over the long-term viability of the old runway model will be unearthed, as editors, critics, buyers and influencers around the world tune in from the comfort of their sofas. But does fashion need to keep up with the times, and is Zoom, Instagram Live and social media, the way to directly engage with customers? What we lose in intimacy, interaction and a shared experience of having a fashion week face, opens up the once exclusive fashion industry to the bourgeois- making fashion seem, well fashionably adaptive, and for the first time, inclusive to all.

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