The Queen sits with Anna Wintour, Caroline Rush (left) and royal dressmaker Angela Kelly (right) as they view Richard Quinn’s runway show at London Fashion Week’s BFC Show Space on February 20, 2018
(Picture: Getty Images)This month’s London Fashion Week will feel more normal after the disruption caused by the pandemic and will be a “great vote of confidence” for the capital’s recovery, its boss said on Thursday
Caroline Rush, the head of the British Fashion Council, said there was a “real feeling” of excitement as international audiences return to see the latest designs on the catwalk from tomorrow.
Rush told the Standard that while bosses would still be urging caution and encouraging testing, the relaxation of mask rules means “it will feel more like a normal fashion week”. She said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the most incredible creativity coming through London. That’s what London is known for and what we’re very proud of.
“And that’s why international audiences come because we have a great breadth of talent here and they have a real exuberance of creativity.”
She added: “There’s a feeling in the industry that the shows of London Fashion Week are a key part of that [Covid] recovery because it shows confidence in the industry.
“Globally [LFW] showcases the incredible creativity we’re known for and it shows a great vote of confidence for our city, London, but also our country.” Fashion week kicks off tomorrow morning with Saul Nash, followed by big names including Erdem, Rejina Pyo, Molly Goddard, Richard Quinn and Roksanda. The event ends on Tuesday.
As part of a “city-wide” celebration, 150 brands will be offering bespoke menus, promotions, parties and workshops tied into London Fashion Week.
Industry figures have predicted this year’s LFW will be the most diverse ever. Rush, pictured, who is not involved in casting the shows, said: “Over the past few years, we’ve seen more body positivity on the LFW catwalk and much more diversity. And that’s representative of our cities so we encourage them to do that when they’re doing the casting for the shows.”
As part of that drive, fashion week has partnered with the BBC to introduce QR codes backstage which take models to a form to track diversity data.
As awareness of the need for sustainable fashion grows, most businesses at LFW have been focusing on how to make their clothes more eco-friendly, Rush told the Standard.
This includes young designers who have built a business model around using upcycled materials.
She said: “We have some incredible leadership. When you see the ethos of our designers, you’re seeing fantastic clothes but you’re also seeing leaders of change in our industry.”
