There is a strange time to be thinking about clothes. We will be doing that this weekend. The death of Queen Elizabeth II has caused this year’s London Fashion Week to be held just eight days later.
The official 10-day mourning period after the death of a monarch is what many expected the proceedings to be canceled. There is no obligation to close entertainment venues or cancel sporting events during the national mourning period, according to official guidance issued by the government. It would be up to the individual organisation. On the day of the State Funeral, the guidance stated that organizations might want to consider postponing or closing venues.
The funeral of the Queen will clash with the last day of LFW and some of the week’s biggest shows, such as Christopher Kane. All of them have been canceled or delayed.
It is not clear what this means for London Fashion Week. The timing couldn’t be worse for a business. In 2020, the British Fashion Council released a statement calling on the government to support the industry, with Oxford Economics predicting 240,000 job losses in the wake of Covid, resulting in revenues dropping from £118 billion to £88 billion. In terms of major losses, emerging brands bore the brunt of it.
After two years of turmoil, the fashion industry is ready to make a comeback. The fashion pack, who have spent the past few seasons adapting to schedules comprising fewer shows and far less pageantry than normal, were excited by the return of Burberry, Raf Simons and JW Anderson, who made triumphant returns to headline the schedule. Smaller venues, lower budgets, and nowhere near the typical number of A-list attendees are what you think.
The British Fashion Council said in a statement on Friday that the biannual event would continue despite the national mourning period. Designers are being asked to respect the mood of the nation and period of national mourning by considering the timing of their image release.
Shortly after the statement was released, the designers decided to cancel their shows in order to respect the Queen. This choice was not easy for smaller brands, who have spent the last six months preparing their spring/summer23 collections. Many of them, including Molly Goddard and Rejina Pyo, chose to respectfully go ahead.
The mood this season will have been influenced by recent events and this will be present at shows, according to designer Daniel W Fletcher. LFW had a lot of excitement this season and I hope it hasn’t been lost. I think it is important for brands and designers to be respectful, but also to remember that fashion shows are an important part of a brand’s calendar for sales and press.
It was not an option to cancel for his brand, which offers contemporary clothing that has been worn by Harry Styles and Sam Smith. It would have been devastating as we already invested so much in it and would not have been able to recover those losses. I hope our guests will join us in our tribute to the Queen at the start of our show.
Harris Reed’s gender-fluid label has been seen on a couple of stars. The designer wrote that his fellow young designers have put their entire brand budgets into their shows to bring in sales and brand awareness with the outcome being they are hopefully able to grow and
Reed told me that the emphasis should be on the sense of community that LFW offers. He says it is important that we have a moment of artistic expression. We put our hard-earned money into these shows. When a big show is pulling out, young designers need to stick together and make a statement. We are supporting the British economy by being together.
Thousands of hours have gone into preparing his show, along with six-figure financial investments, according to Reed. He says that canceling would have halted the progression of the brand. If we had not been able to show this season, we would be in a very difficult position.
Harris Reed created a creation for the MTV Video Music Awards in August.
The fashion world is critiqued for forging ahead at a sensitive time. Designers have pointed out that the criticisms are likely to be related to a common misconception around LFW. That it is not free. It is just for fun. It was superficial.
Even though LFW can be entertaining and fun to the outside world, it is a serious business event which is part of the official fashion calendar. Showing our work will help maintain the reputation of London being one of the major fashion capitals as there is so much hard work that goes into creating seasonal collections. I think the Queen would have supported that.
The Queen made an appearance at LFW. The designer was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design by her at the front row. On Monday evening, he was due to present his new collection, but he will now do it on Tuesday.
Many of the shows that have chosen to go ahead this season are likely to pay tribute to the Queen. Even if a society is grieving, fashion is still a reflection of it. Like all art, it has the power to convey a message and offer a sense of unity. Considering that the late monarch was a supporter of the British fashion industry, it makes more sense to continue.
At last year’s LFW, a model presented a design from the Spring/Summer 2022 collection.
One of the trademarks of the late Queen is resilience, says Mark Fast, who will debut his spring/summer 2023 collection on Friday. The show has to go on. As a brand, we will continue with the show to demonstrate our strength and belief in our business while also paying our respects to the Queen.
We don’t know how designers will pay homage to Her Majesty in this season. Reed is quick to tease his show. Massive silhouettes, incredibly detailed garments and louder than life clothes are what fans can expect. There will be a secret performer who will blow people away, acting as an emotional homage to the times that we are in. The result could be something truly special if this approach is reflected by Reed’s peers.
London Fashion Week runs from September 16 to September 20.