London Fashion Week September 2020 Announces Dates

London Fashion Week (LFW) September 2020 is not cancelled! I repeat, not cancelled and The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced the dates: LFW September 2020 will run from 5pm BST Thursday 17th to Tuesday 22nd September 2020. They will be inviting both womenswear and menswear designers to take part in its gender-neutral showcase. The event will include both digital activations on londonfashionweek.co.uk and physical, under government social distancing guidelines, of course.

We have had an unsteady 2020 so far, thanks to the ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus. It has hit every industry hard, including the fashion industry and our fashion calendars are all over the place, with many question marks over what will still be happening in 2020.

In March, it was announced that fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan would be cancelled. The industry also put a halt to key events like the New York Metropolitan Museum’s Met Gala, the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards, and the LVMH (Louis Vuitton – Moët Hennessy) Prize for Young Fashion Designers. But luckily in June, we were able to experience the first digital London Fashion Week which was held from the 12th to the 14th of June. It was an industry first, the digital three-day show consisted of live streams, virtual catwalks, and performances. This was also the first gender-neutral show, combining womenswear into Men’s Fashion Week. We loved every second of it, full of positivity and beautiful fashion paving the way for the modern digital world. And now we can look forward to September for another mindblowing LFW.

LFW merging womenswear and menswear is a great accomplishment and milestone, for this is the start of breaking down the barrier between menswear and womenswear. Many big-name brands already had this vision, from following a recent trend of mixed shows including Burberry, Gucci and Jacquemus. It makes us feel united, in a modernised and gender-neutral celebration of fashion.

During these unpredictable times, the fashion industry has been forced into a period of reflection with questions being raised about consumption and the number of shows held each season. It has allowed the fashion industry to stop and think about the effects on the world and the best ways to emerge out of the pandemic better. This opportunity to consider the ethics surrounding fashion will ultimately help the industry to be more conscious and sustainable. We are looking forward to the upcoming shows and what fashion weeks across the globe will look like.

Because of the unsure economic future, a digital fashion week appears to be the most economically viable decision for now.

The digital LFW platform will continue to host exclusive multimedia content and will be available to both a consumer and trade audience, enabling collaboration and bringing together fashion, culture and technology. The generosity and commitment of the British Fashion Council and their partners, suppliers and supporters are more vital than ever.