January 13, 2021 |
As the UK uncomfortably settles into its third national lockdown, the British Fashion Council has made the decision to move the upcoming iteration of London Fashion Week to a solely digital showcase. After it was announced back in October that January’s usual London Fashion Week Men’s had been axed in favour of one gender-less platform for February 2021, today the BFC has confirmed this edition of LFW will be entirely online.
This means that any brands who had planned to hold catwalk shows, presentations or installations will now have to film and photograph the event without an audience. “The BFC continues to ask government to engage in support of the fashion industry,” says BFC chief executive Caroline Rush. “One of the main active requests is to allow key creative and model talent to travel to and from the UK with a phased introduction of quarantine exemptions for the fashion industry, in order to carry out essential business, to protect the competitiveness of the British fashion industry.”
Rush goes on to explain how another lockdown will cripple to all sectors of the fashion industry – from big businesses to freelance creatives. “We will continue to push for support and champion our extraordinary businesses to global audiences,” she continues. “Despite all the challenges the last few years have brought, I truly believe that the creativity, agility and business savvy of our sector will prevail.”
Top image: JW Anderson AW20 by Jason Lloyd-Evans. London Fashion Week will take place from February 19 – 23 on londonfashionweek.com.
