London fashion designers on the future of Fashion Week

On the eve of London Fashion Week, Chloe Street speaks to the city’s designers preparing their pandemic-proof presentations
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Chloe Street15 September 2020

London’s first digital-only London Fashion Week back in June saw designers swap real-life runways for podcasts, panel talks and fashion films.

This weekend the event is set to return with a blend of physical and digital events, with 31 of the 81 designers taking part hosting some form of physical activation. But have Boris’s recent six-person restrictions scuppered fashion’s attempts at a new normal? We speak to a host of London’s finest fashion talents – some of whom are hosting IRL events, some digital activations, and some of whom have opted out entirely – to discover how they’ll be approaching the task of showing their spring/ summer 2021 collections, and the challenges they have faced in preparing to do so.

Christopher Kane

Christopher Kane

“I grew up watching the channel Fashion TV — so for me the runway has always been the pinnacle of everything we do. However, physically not being able to have that moment has actually been a release. Without the pressures of a traditional show we've had time to rethink the way we do things. As much as I love showing at London Fashion Week, I've also really valued this time to reflect and reset.”

Anya Hindmarch

Anya Hindmarch
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Moe

“The pandemic certainly hasn’t all been doom and gloom. Fashion is all about responding, so it’s amazing how you do adapt. Importantly, people are stepping up and realising it’s a critical moment for the environment. It’s about circularity of materials, trying to eliminate waste, looking at dead stock, how you can build zero waste into your supply chain. Fashion is a great barometer of mood and a great innovator, so I think it’ll be interesting to see what happens. I don’t think this year’s London Fashion Week will actually be so weird at all.”

Rejina Pyo

Rejina Pyo
Rejina Pyo

“At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a strong feeling across the industry that we could use this time as an opportunity to slow down and do things differently. It didn’t feel right to me to stage a fashion show in the midst of such a difficult time for so many people. Instead we will share our new SS21 collection on our own social platforms when we feel it’s right.”

Eudon Choi

Eudon Choi

“It has been a rollercoaster few months, and our priority has been to keep the business going. I was eager to return to London Fashion Week as creating content and telling stories is more important now than ever. It’s just so important to drive the business forward and have an outlet to express our creativity and partnerships built over this time.”

Orlagh McCloskey, RIXO co-founder

Orlagh McCloskey (L) and Henrietta Rix (R), co-founders of RIXO

“With our physical presentations being such a huge part of RIXO, it’s obviously sad but it has just forced us to be even more creative. There are always going to be challenges with a digital presentation and for us it’s the pressure to ensure the detail and design is captured correctly. Getting all the features and prints across perfectly is important. The reach is an added pressure as we’ve always had such a loyal and welcoming reaction and attendance at our shows. We want this year’s LFW to virtually entertain, inspire and bring joy to as many people as possible!”

Bora Aksu

“I decided to do a show as I believe that we all need to carry on dreaming. I feel as a designer and creative we need to be the light in this ever-changing dark tunnel. We have a duty to reflect on these times but also encourage, bring hope and imagination. Adapting to changes in such a short time span has been challenging. All of our stores have been affected and are only slowly getting back in the last month. The BFC have been very supportive… from gathering the fashion community under one umbrella and updating designers through zoom meetings and creating a financial support system for many designers in difficult situations.”

Marco Capaldo and Kikka Cavenati, co-founders 16Arlington

Marco Capaldo and Kikka Cavenati, co-founders of 16Arlington

“This season really felt like a restore to factory settings. For us it was a season of reflection, and there has been a real sense of stripping things back. The idea of excess didn’t feel appropriate and we connected with the idea of presenting our vision through a collection of stills.

The BFC has been our ultimate pillar of support. The Covid Crisis Fund is just one of the examples of the dedication and support given. London is a really special hub of creative talent and the BFC is an amazing support & sounding board to ensure we are looked after.”

Justine Tabak

“Like so many other big issues around the world, the pandemic has really given a space for people to think about their choices and what and where they’re buying. The whole slow fashion movement in a sense came to the fore because we’ve all had to slow down. It’s made people think do I really need to be slavish to the trends? What do I need to buy? What sort of clothes do I want to wear? What is the fool-proof fashion kit that I need? Rather than being dictated to. Like so many other issues, the consumers are now the ones who are leading, rather than the designers.

“Every designer now has an online presence and if they didn’t before the pandemic, they’ve certainly had to now. Because of that, you’re responding much more quickly and immediately and building relationships with customers. It’s less about telling them what they should wear: often you’ll be communicating with them on a weekly or daily basis and they’re guiding you on the sorts of clothes they want to wear. The power of Instagram cannot be denied. A bestseller for me is something where the picture goes up and you sell 50 dresses overnight. It’s not about waiting for somebody to present it at a show and waiting for another six months to see it. You get an immediate response. They want to be involved in products and involved in clothes and part of their story. Deadstock, batch-made and slow fashion have all become part of popular fashion language now.”