LONDON: As the global fashion industry turns its attention to London, there is a renewed focus on British designers and brands under the leadership of Laura Weir, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, for the February edition of London Fashion Week, with the return of Julien Macdonald, Phoebe English, and Joseph to the schedule.
Running from Thursday, February 19 to Monday, February 23, London Fashion Week will feature 92 designers and organisations, marking an 21 percent increase compared to last February, as the BFC continues its “designer-first” strategy, waiving show fees for designers presenting physically on the main schedule.
This season, LFW will feature 41 catwalk shows, 20 presentations, 5 appointments, 34 events and 18 digital activations, including Burberry, Emilia Wickstead, Erdem, Richard Quinn, Labrum London, and Simone Rocha, as well as Chet Lo, John Richmond and Masha Popova returning to the schedule. There will also be a chance to see the new director for Joseph from creative director Mario Arena, who joined the premium label in 2024 from JW Anderson.
There are also a host of newcomers, including sculptural womenswear label Agro Studio, accessories designer Clara Chu, Afro-contemporary menswear brand Gravalot, womenswear label Liberowe, craft-led Indian brand Raw Mango, London-based fashion label Selasi, founded by multidisciplinary artist and photographer Ronan Mckenzie and Leo Prothmann.
Julien Macdonald to return to LFW
The biggest addition to this season’s schedule has to be the return of Welsh designer Julien Macdonald, who is showcasing for the first time in three years following his brand’s liquidation in 2023. The highly anticipated return will take place at The Shard, marking the first time a catwalk show has been held at the iconic London landmark, and as it will be on the 69th floor, it will also be one of the highest fashion shows ever held in the capital.
In an interview with FashionUnited, Macdonald said his return will add “much-needed glamour” to the London Fashion Week schedule, as it will be a celebration of “women and femininity”.
Macdonald added: “This collection’s starting point was The Shard, it’s strong, powerful and confident, and stands out in the London skyscape – just like the women I dress. It also represents the New World being built around us, like Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the new luxury customer.”