London Collections: Men to clash with Pitti Uomo

Following on from the success of the inaugural London Collections: Men in June, the British Fashion Council has confirmed that the menswear showcase will return next season, from January 7-9, and it will include a presentation from Tom Ford.

The announcement for the second London menswear event means that it will overlap with menswear trade show Pitti Uomo, which is scheduled to take place in Florence from January 8-11.

In June, London Collections: Men kick-started the menswear calendar for the spring 2013 season, and showcased the best of British fashion talent including shows and presentations from Dunhill, Hackett, Margaret Howell and Pringle of Scotland, as well as heritage brands and tailors from London’s Savile Row including E.Tautz, Hardy Amies and Richard James.

Although the format and a full list of brands and designers taking part in the autumn/winter 2013 edition is still to be confirmed, the British Fashion Council did announce that Tom Ford will show his menswear collection in London for the first time at an event that will take place at his design headquarters in Westminster.

Once again the showcase will be chaired by British GQ editor Dylan Jones, who has been announced as the “on-going chair” of the event, and his role will be to work alongside the BFC to develop London Collections: Men as a bi-annual event. The appointment is initially for a fixed term of two years with immediate effect and will encompass four seasons.

Those joining Jones on the committee for autumn 13 include Adrian Clark, ShortList; Anda Rowland, Anderson & Sheppard; Douglas Booth; Grant Pearce, GQ Asia Pacific; Paula Reed, Harvey Nichols; Robert Johnston, GQ; Tracey Emin and Tom Hiddleston.

Commenting on the appointment, Jones said: “The inaugural men’s week was far more successful than any of us anticipated, and we have been overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm for the project from designers, retailers, buyers and the press.

“LC: M has already contributed to the changing perception of menswear in this country, and our plans for the next week in January, and beyond, will hopefully build on this.”

Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council, added: "Dylan has played a fantastic role as chair of the 2012 menswear committee and his input has been critical to the roaring success of the inaugural LC:M in June. Since June he has continued to work behind the scenes to move the event onto a permanent and prominent footing. He plays a unique role in harnessing the support of international industry leaders and style icons to drive forward this incredible new showcase of British menswear. We look forward to working with him over the next two years."

Image: Richard Nicoll