London Fashion Week: But Make It Virtual

The fashion industry in 2020 has completely redefined how consumers take in the new and now. Instead of the consumer going to the fashion, the fashion goes to the consumer, by way of media and virtual experiences. The latest player making a name in virtual fashion is the entirety of London Fashion Week; being the first of the four fashion capitals to take all of its runway shows online; showing that just because there are not ideal conditions for in real life fashion, does not mean fashion cannot be consumed in interesting, various and thought-provoking ways.

Originally only aimed toward British menswear with the goal of setting a stage to promote more menswear lines around Europe, London Fashion Week ditched the gender-focus in the process of revamping the entire event for online and virtual viewing. This acclaimed yearly event answered the call of fashion in lockdown with three category-streams on Netflix, with roughly twenty brands throughout these streams. There will be specific time slots where showrooms and new collections are featured.

And, with this new form of London fashion weeks comes a new hashtag, #LFWReset, that carries on the meaning of what London Fashion Week, and Fashion Weeks in general, is all about: resetting. Caroline Rush, the British Fashion Council chief executive, said that the goal became how to create the perfect air and feeling of fashion week during lockdown.
“Canceling London Fashion Week was never an option,” said Rush, in a New York Times interview.

This may be the case, however, many brands opted to wait to show their runway fashion, or rather opted to create capsule-style collections, rather than full-length. Overall, the week will feature mostly small and up-and-coming womens’ labels such as Lou Dalton and Teatum Jones. Many other designers have gone different routes in goals to promote brands, but not push larger collections; for example, menswear mogul Nicholas Daley chose to curate a playlist, and Bianca Saunders created a zine in partnership with photographer Joshua Woods and stylist Matt Holmes. London Fashion week is a larger, more immersive experience than it has ever been in its physical form.

The idea is for fashion and runway to be in person, but the virtual aspect of London Fashion Week is making the world of high fashion and couture much more accessible and immersive to everyone who is simply interested and passionate about fashion. London’s virtual Fashion Week may not appear the same as it has in the past as it has with in-and-out runway shows, but viewers near and far now get an accessible, inside look into the minds, inspirations, and personal vibes of designers, which in itself is a rad and current experience that will be
referenced for seasons and years to come.

By: Emily Goldberg
Instagram: @bb.em