London Fashion Week: Coronavirus face masks, British Brexit anxieties, sustainable fashion progress – the main takeaways
Vivienne Westwood and Margaret Howell championed classic British styles in the newly independent nation, Kendall Jenner walked the catwalk for Burberry while the inaugural Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation went to Emily Adams Bode
British style, sustainable collections and Chinese participation on the slide – here are the takeaways from London Fashion Week (LFW), which ended on February 18.
Shadow of coronavirus
The involvement of Chinese retailers and media was sharply down at LFW due to travel restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak. It was a heavy blow for the industry as China is the world’s biggest consumer of luxury fashion goods.
The epidemic has had a significant negative impact on demand, Burberry warned on February 7. The brand was temporarily forced to close 24 of its 64 stores in China, while the rest are operating on reduced hours.
The British Fashion Council deep-cleaned the main London venue, with disinfectant on hand. However, only a few catwalk models wore face masks – matching their outfits, of course.
Upbeat stylists
If COVID-19 fears and the winter blues are getting you down, then the colourful collections of Serbia’s Roksanda or Britain’s Molly Goddard could bring a dose of cheer. Among Roksanda’s more striking creations was a voluminous evening dress in neon orange silk, with a purple train. Goddard’s emblematic tulle dresses lend a childlike and joyous look.
Textures and volumes are the new chic, said JW Anderson. For his new collection, Anderson said he wanted something “kind of optimistic”. Anderson, who lived in Northern Ireland during his youth, was inspired by Guinness stout for the colours and designs of some of his dresses.
“There was something nice in the typography of Guinness – there was gold, there was black, a little touch of silver and a burgundy colour,” he said.