As men’s fashion month is coming quick, the fashion community is sad to see Men’s London Fashion Week missing from the schedule (for the first time since its launch in 2012). The news was announced back in April, with the British Fashion Council stating that it’s shifting its focus to more commercial opportunities with a showroom at Paris Fashion Week, instead.
This follows the February LFW being a little emptier than usual – with designers opting for digital presentations (such as Johanna Parv), choosing to show only once a year (like KNWLS and Chopova Lowena), or straight up moving to Paris or Milan (Saul Nash made his Milan debut in February, and multiple British designers have been showing in Paris for the past few seasons).
Not to make this about Brexit, but it low-key is. Post-Brexit, funding and exporting has become more challenging bc of import regulations, plus working with European stockists has gotten increasingly intricate. Many designers are choosing Paris. “London is a scene of revelations, where one puts down creative [roots], whereas Paris is a destination once the brand is established, to reach a more global audience,” Serge Carreira from the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode told CNN last year.
And as the fashion industry moves forward, some young designers are questioning whether doing a runway show is actually worth it at all. It’s expensive (funding a show can cost $50k), and viral moments do not guarantee profit. Creating short films, editorials or immersive presentations can feel more innovative and freeing creatively, and it’s less costly.
But, with Martine Rose and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy showing off-schedule this weekend, there’s still a desire for designers to show in their hometown and base. Both designers mentioned usually showcase Britishness with their work, so presenting in London makes more sense for their identities and brands.
With CSM and Westminster’s recent graduate shows featuring a surge of emerging designers who are entering the industry, BFC’s Newgen programme, Fashion East and sponsors like Pull & Bear are more important than ever in order to keep LFW alive with physical shows, and help young designers build strong brands.
London is a huge hub for young designers, especially in menswear, so seeing a wave of British talent moving to PFW, or not showing at all, can feel disheartening. But, just bc LFW is missing from the schedule this season, doesn’t mean London’s fashion community is dead.
Featured image Charles Jeffrey Loverboy©
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