By
AFP
Translated by
Nazia BIBI KEENOO
Printed
February 19, 2025
London Trend Week Fall/Winter 2025 kicks off on Thursday, 20 February, with designer Harris Reed setting the stage together with his signature theatrical creations, marking the beginning of 4 days of exhibits within the British capital. This version, nonetheless, will probably be shorter than regular, with a number of notable absences.
London Trend Week 2025 runs from Thursday, 20 to Monday, 24 February – Picture credit score: londonfashionweek.co.uk
The Anglo-American designer, who additionally serves as inventive director of Nina Ricci, will current his eponymous label at Tate Britain. The label is recognized for its dramatic silhouettes, usually topped with outsized halos crafted from recycled wallpaper and inside materials.
The 28-year-old designer, immediately recognizable for his lengthy pink hair, gained international consideration in 2020 when he designed the crinoline skirt worn by Harry Types on the quilt of Vogue. Types made historical past because the first-ever solo male cowl star of US Vogue in its December 2020 situation. His work embodies “non-binary romanticism,” a mode that has captivated celebrities corresponding to Lil Nas X, Adele, and Beyoncé.
Over the following 4 days, Erdem, Simone Rocha, Richard Quinn, Roksanda, and the enduring Burberry will unveil their Fall/Winter 2025 collections, with Burberry closing the occasion.
Presently dealing with challenges, the heritage model is the topic of hypothesis relating to the departure of its inventive director, Daniel Lee. Having joined simply over two years in the past, Lee has made efforts to modernize the model, although with blended outcomes.
A number of experiences recommend he may very well be changed by British designer Kim Jones, who left his position at Dior Homme in late January after seven years.
Absent from the schedule: JW Anderson
Probably the most talked-about absences this season is JW Anderson, the label of Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson. Anderson additionally serves as inventive director at Loewe and has been talked about as a possible candidate for Dior.
The British Trend Awards 2024 Designer of the 12 months was additionally absent from Milan Males’s Trend Week and Paris Trend Week, the place Loewe—like Dior—is a part of the LVMH portfolio.
Sustainability on the forefront
For the primary time, younger designers chosen for the British Trend Council’s (BFC) NewGen program are required to fulfill sustainability standards when producing their collections.
The initiative aligns with Copenhagen Trend Week’s eco-conscious strategy, which launched comparable measures in 2023.
The objective is to steadily prolong sustainability necessities to all manufacturers showcasing in London.
In November, the BFC additionally introduced a ban on unique animal skins—corresponding to crocodiles and snakes—beginning with this Fall/Winter 2025 version. Nevertheless, the transfer is basically symbolic, as no manufacturers on the London Trend Week schedule at the moment use these supplies.
“A challenging period”
This version of London Trend Week is sort of a day shorter than final yr’s Fall/Winter 2024 occasion, with designers corresponding to Molly Goddard and Sinéad O’Dwyer absent from the schedule.
Others, together with Dilara Findikoglu and Conner Ives, have diminished their present frequency to annually, whereas some have scaled again to shows or intimate gatherings as an alternative of full runway exhibits.
Caroline Rush, chief government of the BFC, acknowledged that British manufacturers are navigating a very difficult interval, impacted by the pandemic, Brexit, and the 2024 closure of Matchesfashion, the luxurious e-commerce platform.
“We are working closely with these businesses to support them through this period,” Caroline Rush instructed AFP, emphasizing the significance of London Trend Week as a platform that pulls influencers, journalists, and patrons from world wide.
“When I started 16 years ago, the first question I was asked was, ‘Are Fashion Weeks still relevant?'” recalled Rush, who will step down from her position within the coming months.
“I believe they are highly relevant. In London especially, we have so many small independent businesses that need a platform to reach a global audience,” she added.
Rush will probably be succeeded by Laura Weir, inventive director at Selfridges and a former British Vogue journalist.
In accordance with the British Trend Council, the UK style business employs 800,000 folks and contributes practically £30 billion ($38 billion) to the economic system.
cla-lul-alm / By Clara Lalanne and Lucie Lequier
