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fashion
Here’s Everything We Did at London Fashion Week SS24
22/09/23
Author: Lucianne Tonti
DOCUMENTED BY: Joe Maher/BFC, Getty Images
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London Fashion Week is always a highlight on the international fashion week schedule. The style of this city is well documented, and extensively emulated, around the world – how could it not be? While Copenhagen Fashion Week has strict sustainability requirements that all designers must adhere to, London is still a little more lax.
“The event hosts a mixture of established and emerging brands and as result of this setting a one-size-fits-all sustainability standard is not feasible without alienating the smaller businesses,” British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush told The Guardian earlier this year. Despite this ‘opt-in’ approach, we were impressed with how the participating designers wove environmentally-friendly principles into their collections. Below, are our highlights from the week that was including Simone Rocha’s real-life roses and Stella McCartney’s cocktail party.
Day One
E.L.V. Denim X S’able Labs Breakfast
Documented By: @luciannetonti
Day One
E.L.V. Denim X S’able Labs Breakfast
We kicked off the week with the E.L.V. Denim X S’able Labs breakfast at The Twenty Two, a very cool hotel, restaurant and private members' club. E.L.V. is a fabulous upcycled denim label made from post-consumer jeans that could not otherwise be salvaged. The founder Anna Foster is a brilliant activist in this space, turning waste into desirable and beautiful collections stocked at leading boutiques globally. S’able Labs is a skincare label founded by husband-and-wife-duo model Sabrina Elba and actor Idris Elba. They use natural, traceable ingredients and have a transparent relationship with all the suppliers along their supply chain.
Regeneration Day
We then went to Regeneration Day run by Safia Minney, an activist and writer in the regenerative fashion space. There were lots of interesting panel discussions on regenerative supply chains, fair wages and cultural change. Exhibitors included Fibershed, our favourite regenerative fibre pioneers who are setting up localised supply chain networks all over the world. This event ultimately confirmed that this is a growing area and while there is a fair way to go, it will become the future of the fashion industry. We love to see it.
Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design MA Graduate Showcase
We rounded out day one by attending the graduate showcase Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design students. It was surprising to see this next generation of emerging designers leaning heavily into the digital space rather than producing physical collections. If it’s any indication, this may be the shape of things to come.
Day Two
Bora Aksu Show
Documented By: @luciannetonti
Day Two
Bora Aksu Show
Our first runway show of the week was Bora Aksu. There were lots of pretty dresses presented in a beautiful outdoor space. The collection was a tribute to the eponymous designer’s Turkish heritage, which was visible in the headwear, and crochet and doily detailing. We loved how playful the collection was, but did consider the reliance on synthetic materials from a sustainability perspective. Regardless, it was so refreshing to see looks go down a runway that felt new. The show was well-received and the energy in the crowd was light and beautiful.
Huishan Zhang Show
Held at The Londoner, a boutique five-star hotel, the location was at once dramatic and clever; choosing a venue like this saves on sets that would usually be thrown away. There were beautiful gowns and sharp tailoring. We loved the drama of it all. The designer uses recycled polyester (downcycled plastic), organic cotton, and FSC viscose.
Next Gen Space
Documented By: @luciannetonti
Next Gen Space
Next, we stopped by the Next Gen space to see Ancuta Sarca’s shoe collection. It was a very intriguing location, staged in the old Selfridges hotel (right near the current Selfridges). Models posed on a platform standing still, exhibiting old Nikes that had been given a new life as heels.
Stella McCartney X Net-a-Porter Cocktail Party
The night finished with the Stella McCartney cocktail party hosted by Net-a-Porter. There was a theatre performance featuring actors talking about Stella’s love of horses, incorporating a little interactive bingo game designed to get the crowd looking closely at the clothes which had the clues on them. There were horse prints aplenty and slogans like “safe for vegans” emblazoned on the bags.
Day Three
We had a rest day!
Day Four
Susan Fang Show
Documented By: @luciannetonti
Day Four
Susan Fang Show
Susan Fang is a young designer who uses 90% deadstock and end-of-the-line materials from luxury fashion houses. While using deadstock materials does not necessarily guarantee sustainability (the collection seemed to use a fair amount of synthetics), the designer’s intention is clearly a step in the right direction. Her show was held on a basketball court, which was a juxtaposition to the floaty tulle dresses. Effortless silhouettes were styled back with big shoes.
Simone Rocha Show
This was the show of the week! Real roses were embedded into the dresses and a collaboration with Crocs was pulled off in the chicest way that only Simone Rocha could. Unfortunately there was a missed opportunity in terms of sustainability, as there were lots of synthetic technical fabrics within the looks, but her pieces are intended to be kept and worn forever so we can toast to that. Celebrity spotting: Raven Smith and Alexa Chung sat front row.
Day Five
Central Saint Martins x UPM Biochemicals
Documented By: @luciannetonti
Day Five
Central Saint Martins x UPM Biochemicals
Central Saint Martins partnered with Finnish company UPM Biochemicals "to prototype a fossil-free future.” With the aim of showing the many possibilities of creating beautiful items without the reliance on materials derived from fossil fuels, fifty students utilised innovative materials to disrupt traditional product concepts. There was an interesting panel discussion with representatives from the British Fashion Council and Dezeen magazine. It’s important to note that UPM is producing plastic made from wood pulp waste from their biorefinery, which uses trees from their plantation, but they are on a mission to get everyone off carbon so it’s a good start. The bioplastics can be recycled but are not biodegradable. Sustainability is a journey, so we applaud these advancements.
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Documented By: @luciannetonti
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