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Natalie Massenet kicks off London Fashion Week

By Danielle Wightman-Stone

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Fashion

“I believe that London is really the greatest fashion capital in the world,” said British Fashion Council chairman Natalie Massenet at the launch of London Fashion Week, which kicked off in the capital on Friday, February 19.

“London is the centre of creative talent, a hub of technological innovation and a vibrant business community - with Fashion Week at its creative and commercial heart - attended by thousands and watched by Millions worldwide.” added Massenet.

The Net-a-Porter founder, who accepted her Damehood at Buckingham Palace on the opening morning of London Fashion Week, said in her speech that she would be continuing in her role at the British Fashion Council for another year.

The British Fashion Council chairman highlighted London’s commitment to combining fashion with technology, adding that this season’s London Fashion Week footage would be shown on 60 outdoor screens around the UK in a partnership with Ocean Outfit as it looks to increase consumer engagement with the event.

“It is exciting to see so much talk of a new focus on the consumer, a re-thinking of the platforms we can use to engage with them and an embracing of change,” said Massenet. “From the outset of my time as Chairman we have been championing opening up our world and sharing the experience - so many designers have supported that vision including Burberry’s recent news that shines such a strong light on our leadership in this field. We are very proud that this started in London.”

London Fashion Week kicks off SS16 showcase

She also highlighted the importance of the fashion industry, which is worth 26 billion pounds to the UK economy, and added that currently, the industry employs 800,000 people, and to benchmark the growth it has conducted a survey of 153 designers and found that “micro businesses” have grown by over 110 percent in the last three years, and that they are projecting more ambitious growth over the next three years.

The British Fashion Council also added that it is committing to conducting the survey annually to measure development, and has also commissioned a new report on the Value of Fashion, the results of which will be presented at a later date.

In addition, the British Fashion Council has also launched a new online resource called Designer Fact File, which aims to give business advice and information to designers. Currently, more than 2,000 businesses have already registered with the service.

Over the course of the five days of London Fashion Week, more than 240 designer brands will showcase their spring/summer 16 collections on schedule and in the Designer Show. Highlights Massenet added would be the debut of Charlotte Olympia, as well as the return of Mulberry back to the schedule.

London Fashion Week runs until Tuesday, February 23.

Image: Danielle Wightman-Stone

British Fashion Council
LFW
London Fashion Week
Natalie Massenet