“Real feeling” of excitement as London Fashion Week returns 

What will a “normal” fashion week look like in the post-COVID UK? We are set to receive some answers to this very question, London Fashion Week (LFW) having officially commenced on Friday 18th February, and serving once more as a formidable showcase of the capital’s ingenuity and creativity – in more ways than one. 

Caroline Rush, head of the British Fashion Council, earlier told the Evening Standard that this month’s LFW would “feel more like a normal fashion week”, due to the loosening of previous rules on mask wearing.

In other respects, however, LFW 2022 will resemble last year’s – not least with its hybrid format, whereby some events will take place online and others are to be held in-person. Rush has also said that bosses will be continuing to urge caution and encourage testing to help minimise the coronavirus risk.

Still, with 86 physical events set to take place in all across the – in the words of LFW chairwoman Stephanie Phair – “five-day celebration of the UK’s leading creative talent”, compared to 79 last year, we will take all the hope we can get of a sustained recovery. 

What have been the highlights so far? 

Although LFW officially began on Friday with shows from Sohuman, Bora Aksu and Saul Nash, the partying got underway the previous night, the four-time Grammy Award-winning performer Sam Smith featuring at Harris Reed’s show at St John’s Smith Square in Westminster. He was joined by models wearing creations produced from repurposed fabrics. 

Reed has been hailed as “designer of the moment” by the London newspaper, not least on account of having dressed Emma Corrin for her surprise appearance at the recent BRIT Awards. 

His 60 Years A Queer show looked at how “queer culture took on this regal fabulousness”, with draped trails working alongside lace tailoring. 

Meanwhile, the British Fashion Council held an official opening night party at Bistrotheque in east London, guests being welcomed by supermodel Irina Shayk, who recently starred on the New York Fashion Week runway. Rush was also present, along with Edward Enninful of British Vogue.  

With the other big names on the weekly schedule including the likes of Rejina Pyo, Erdem, Molly Goddard, Vivienne Westwood, Roksanda and Richard Quinn, this particular  fashion digital marketing agency can well understand Rush’s words that there was a “real feeling” of excitement about this showcase returning to some measure of its pre-pandemic strength. 

Some 134 designers are set to feature across the physical and digital schedules up until its conclusion on Tuesday, amid predictions that this year’s LFW will also be the most diverse ever.