8 key moments not to miss this London Fashion Week
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The fashion pack have left New York and are heading to London for a jam-packed schedule featuring more than 90 catwalk shows and presentations, and while Topshop, Julien Macdonald, Antonio Berardi, and Anya Hindmarch might be taking a break this season there are still a lot of highlights you won’t want to miss. We have the last collection from Christopher Bailey at Burberry, the debut of Josep Font’s Delpozo in London, and Richard Quinn will be showing on-schedule for the first time.
1. Christopher Bailey’s last Burberry showBurberry has been a highlight fixture of London Fashion Week for a number of seasons, and that’s down to chief creative officer and president Christopher Bailey. The February 2018 collection marks the designer’s last collection for the luxury fashion house and it will be dedicated to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Queer (LGBTQ+) communities, as part of Burberry’s commitment to promoting diversity around the world.
Commenting ahead of Saturday’s catwalk show, Bailey said: “My final collection here at Burberry is dedicated to - and in support of - some of the best and brightest organisations supporting LGBTQ+ youth around the world. There has never been a more important time to say that in our diversity lies our strength, and our creativity.”
This will be showcased with the introduction of a new Rainbow check, the latest iteration of Burberry’s most iconic symbol, based on the LGBTQ+ rainbow, an emblem for optimism and inclusiveness.
The Rainbow check pieces in the collection will be available for purchase immediately after the show in London on Saturday, February 17.
Image: courtesy of Burberry
2. Delpozo makes LFW debutDemi-couture fashion house Delpozo is showing for the first time in London, following five years of showing at New York Fashion Week. The Spanish label helmed by Josep Font has been gaining acclaim for its unique and feminine pieces that embrace time-honoured couture traditions and the brand has been leaving hints of what we can expect from its autumn/winter 2018 collection.
The Instagram countdown at 10-days to go showcased an inky blue colour palette, which was followed by bright pink swatches and lily pads, and with five-days to go it unveiled more pink hues alongside yellow, as well as florals.
Delpozo will showcase on February 18.
3. JW Anderson to merge womenswear and menswear
The fashion trend of merging women’s and men’s for fashion week continues with Jonathan Anderson’s JW Anderson, which this season will see both its womenswear and menswear showcased for the first time together at London Fashion Week.
The JW Anderson show is always a hot ticket, the Northern Irish designer has been named the wunderkind of the London fashion scene for a number of years for his unique aesthetic that offers a modern interpretation of masculinity and femininity by creating thought-provoking silhouettes through a cross-pollination between menswear and womenswear elements.
JW Anderson catwalk show will take place on February 17.
4. Richard Quinn will be showing on schedule for the first timeIf you haven’t heard of Richard Quinn yet, get ready, he is one of the hottest new talents on the official London Fashion Week schedule. The Central Saint Martens graduate wowed the fashion pack last season with his dark and subversive take on Liberty’s floral prints.
This may only be Quinn’s second season at London Fashion Week but his name is already getting out there due to work placements at Richard James on Savile Row and Christian Dior Couture in Paris, as well as winning the H&M Design Award, which helped his launch his own label after graduation, and being awarded ‘one to watch’ support from NewGen.
Richard Quinn will showcase his AW18 collection on February 20.
5. Lulu Guinness to make LFW debutOne of Britain’s best known accessory designer’s Lulu Guinness, known for her lip clutches, will be hosting her first ever London Fashion Week presentation this season to showcase her autumn/winter 2018 collection, ‘Love One Another’. The invite doesn’t give much away except stating, ‘have fun and make your mark’ with hand illustrations scattered across it.
Lulu Guinness said: “I don’t want to give too much away at this point, but I’ve created something which is fun, interactive and shareable on social media. What people like about my brand is the playful witty nature, so it will be a larger than life version of that.”
The presentations will include the brand's accessories collection, as well as footwear and ready-to-wear, which launched last summer.
Lulu Guinness will host her presentation on February 17.
6. Sophia WebsterOne of the highlights every season has to be Sophia Webster and her highly creative presentations, over the season’s we’ve had a jungle rave, a winter wonderland, mermaids, and even a botanical garden, and for autumn/winter 2018 the invite teases ‘I Don’t Need A Mango To Tango’ with lots of red sequins. FashionUnited can’t wait to see what her presentation this season brings.
Sophia Webster will showcase her latest theatrical presentation on February 19.
7. Mulberry ‘Beyond Heritage’Taking a step out of Burberry’s playbook, Mulberry is hosting its own consumer-focus event following its London Fashion Week show with ‘Beyond Heritage’. The British fashion house will be taking over eighteenth-century Spencer House in London and hosting a pop-up for its spring/summer 2018 collection, as well as a series of workshops and talks including a demonstration from its skilled leather artisans on how to make the brand’s most iconic bags and an in-conversation with creative director Johnny Coca.
The Mulberry LFW catwalk show takes place on February 16, followed by a two-day pop-up at Spencer House from February 17-18.
8. Fortie London named Merit Award winnerFashion Scout is renowned for promoting the very best in emerging talent and this season it is championing Fortie London, the London-based label founded by Central St Martins graduate Essie Buckman, who they named as their Merit Award winner.
Fortie Label, which has been inspired by the Forty thieves, an all-female London crime syndicate who were infamously known for their antics from 19th to mid 20th century, has been gaining attention as an urban-luxe womenswear to watch for its attention to detail regarding textile development, where they often revert to traditional techniques in hand embroidery and hand painted prints on its pieces.
Fashion Scout’s founder and creative director Martyn Roberts said: “The brand was an easy decision for the judging panel to award Merit to, due to the intriguing fabric combinations and pattern cutting skills, mixed with strong cultural inspiration. Fashion Scout are excited to give Essie the opportunity to continue building the Fortie Label brand and profile here in London.”
Fortie Label will showcase its autumn/winter 2018 collection at Fashion Scout on February 16.
Image: courtesy of Fashion Scout
London Fashion Week runs from February 16 to February 20.
Main image: JW Anderson courtesy of London Fashion Week/British Fashion Council