London menswear showcase makes its mark
London stays on the boil as its menswear showcase kicks off the new fashion season, writes Francesca Fearon
Squeezed in between the New Year holiday and the major catwalk presentations of Florence, Milan and Paris, the London menswear shows have their work cut out, but in season two, things are shaping up nicely both on the catwalk and in terms of business.
The capital is riding the wave of excitement after the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. Taking a leaf out of the Olympic organisers' book the designers chose spectacular venues to showcase their collections: the stately Spencer House for the Savile Row tailors, the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral with Nelson's tomb for Hackett's city gents in their three-piece checked suits and velvet dinner jackets, while Vivienne Westwood borrowed one of artist Joe Rush's spectacular Mutoid Waste Company machines from the Paralympic closing ceremony, for her presentation.
Launched by Prince Charles last June the first London menswear collections were more successful than expected, proving that there was not just enthusiasm for the project, but a genuine need as well. "It had a major impact on business and international press exposure," says Dylan Jones, chairman of London Collections: Men.
For the young Chinese designer showcased last season, Xander Zhou, it raised his profile enormously in China.
"It is not a vanity project," insists Jones. "It can't be. There was no way we were going to achieve everything in season one. We won't in season two, but it is an incremental build and we have the momentum to make it work."
With London Collections: Men still in its infancy, recognition by world class brands like Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen is both welcome and vital. This week McQueen staged its first menswear show in London. Tom Ford, who presented a collection based on the O'Connor suit he designed for the James Bond movie Skyfall says, "London Collections: Men is certainly working for us." But the collection will still be seen in Milan.
Vivienne Westwood presented nine looks for a collection that will also be shown in its entirety this weekend in Milan, as will the main luxury menswear collection for Belstaff, which for the London event highlighted a capsule collection in collaboration with Goodwood sports and racing. There is no doubt that the real business is still done in Milan and Paris but there have been plenty of delights for the press and buyers that descended on London earlier this week.