LFWM solidifies London's reputation as the creative capital

London - Even though London Fashion Week Men’s (LFWM) has seen a decrease in the number of headlining designers showing, which has led to the event shortening, the 11th season of the dedicated menswear week welcomed a slew of new and emerging designers, which celebrated the creative diversity present in the city.

“The breadth of talent and diversity of our LFWM designers, contributors and collaborators is a testament to the vibrancy and openness of London,” said Caroline Rush, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council at the opening of the event on Saturday morning. “This season sees Craig Green, British Designer of the Year at the recent Fashion Awards, present his collection alongside British Emerging Talent Menswear Winner Charles Jeffrey, New Gen recipient Grace Wales Bonner and British heritage brand Belstaff. Collaborations this season include the co-curation of the LFWM DiscoveryLAB with GQ Style’s Fashion Director Elgar Johnson and live performances by poet James Massiah, graffiti artist Ben Eine and perfumer Timothy Han.”

London Fashion Week Men's celebrates creative diversity

The opening morning of London Fashion Week Men’s January 2018, which took place atThe Store Studios, 180 Strand, included a specially commissioned performance from South London poet James Massiah, whose work aims to explore ideas concerning morality, sexuality, and ethics. “From fashion to art, design, music and popular culture, our international audience use LFWM to experience our city’s melting pot of creative industries and the best of British retail,” added Dylan Jones OBE, London Fashion Week Men’s Chair. “News that growth in the UK menswear market is predicted to outstrip womenswear and reach 16.2 billion pounds by 2021, is promising news for our designers and further cements the UK’s importance as a global business destination.”

Key highlights from the men’s wear fashion week include the BFC’s NEWGEN initiative, which saw key emerging designers such as Kiko Kostadinov, Liam Hodges, and Grace Wales Bonner hosted catwalk shows to present their January 2018 collections. Liam Hodges collection featured a strong grunge vibe, with tartan trousers, oversize suits and zippered cuffs paired with acid green hair whereas Grace Wales Bonner collection, hailed as one of best shows of the season by The Financial Times, featured impeccable tailored jackets and trousers. Astrid Andersen incorporated women's wear looks into this season men's wear show ahead of her full women's wear collection launch underlining the importance of a genderless approach to fashion.

British heritage brands Belstaff and Kent & Curwen presented their latest collections during the event as well, with co-owner and global ambassador David Beckham hosting a lunch on Sunday in honor of Kent & Curwen new store opening on Floral Street. LFWM veteran Lou Dalton launched her collection for sale immediately following her catwalk show, as one of the few men’s wear designers to follow the see-now, buy now model at London Fashion Week Men’s. Newcomers to the event included Per Gotesson and Wood Wood, who showed at LFWM does the first time on Monday and Saturday respectively.

Photos 1: Left to right - Matt Hancock, Elgar Johnson, Hu Bing, Justine Simons OBE, Caroline Rush CBE, James Massiah, Dylan Jones OBE
Photos 2 to 5: Astrid Andersen AW18, via The Lobby