London Fashion Week ‘City Wide Celebrations’ expands nationwide

The British Fashion Council (BFC) is expanding its consumer-facing City Wide Celebrations (CWC) programme of events and activations, which runs alongside London Fashion Week, to include Manchester and Newcastle for the first time.

CWC is a programme of more than 1,000 experiences and activities open to the public from more than 350 brands throughout September in London, Manchester and Newcastle.

Curated by the BFC, CWC aims to support and promote retail across the UK while driving the fashion conversation forward through industry-wide participation and partnerships during LFW’s 40th anniversary year.

Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, said in a statement: “As we celebrate 40 years of London Fashion Week presented by 1664 Blanc, we are very excited to extend our LFW City Wide Celebration across the UK for the first time. BFC is committed to supporting retail and our brilliant network of designer businesses not only in London but across the UK and we are really looking forward to witnessing Manchester and Newcastle come to life with their own programme of events throughout September.

“LFW has continually been a pioneer when it comes to opening up its doors and inviting consumers to participate, enabling brands and businesses to connect to customers through cultural moments and events is core to its impact. Our principal partner 1664 Blanc has enabled us to extend this even further by opening up LFW all year with their fantastic lineup of events.”

Renowned shopping destinations Covent Garden (London), Selfridges (Manchester) and Fenwick (Newcastle) will kick off celebrations in each city, offering a series of activations for customers and style enthusiasts.

LFW’s principal partner 1664 Blanc, will be taking over London’s Covent Garden Piazza with its ‘Explorations in Blue’ activation, from September 13 to 14. Guests can grab a limited edition print available from LFW designer Tolu Coker, explore ‘Le Journal Bleu’ a bespoke commemorative newspaper that celebrates 40 years of LFW, and enjoy a drink of 1664 Blanc.

While in Newcastle, Fenwick will be hosting a series of exclusive activations during LFW, including their latest restaurant opening Fred's, a French-inspired take on Newcastle's own Terrace Tea Room opened in 1911 by Fred Fenwick. Pop-ups include a takeover of Roof 39 by Charlotte Tilbury from Sept 3 to 16 celebrating its latest beauty launches with Tilbury-inspired bespoke cocktails, sweet treats and an afternoon tea.

The full list of experiences is available on the LFW website.