As we’ve been told, on umpteen occasions, we’re currently living through “scary” and “unprecedented” times. The coronavirus crisis has upended everyone’s lives and the British fashion industry has been working out how to adjust to the new normal.
We don’t know how long lockdown will last, nor has the UK government been transparent about its exit strategy, but we can safely assume that IRL catwalks are out the window for the foreseeable future. We could assume that this would put paid to the SS21 fashion schedule but the British Fashion Council has decided that the (fashion) show must go on. Namely, on 20 April, the fashion body announced plans to combine next season’s menswear and womenswear showings into a single digital event running from 12 June.
Mimicking solutions found by fashion weeks in Moscow and Shanghai, LFW will consist of a digital selection of podcasts, showrooms and designer interviews which will be open to accredited members of the industry as well as the wider public. Speaking of the decision, British Fashion Council Chief Executive Caroline Rush said; “by creating a cultural fashion week platform, we are adapting digital innovation to best fit our needs today and enacting something to build on as a global showcase for the future.”
