London Fashion Week digital events: February 2021

Fashion week is dead, long live fashion month

Fashion month was in flux long before Covid. The biannual circuit of New York, London, Milan and Paris has evolved from an industry-only, behind-closed-doors affair to what can sometimes seem like a series of social media moments choreographed for designers, models, celebrities, influencers and associated fashion-adjacent brands and hangers-on.

In recent years the focus has shifted from the clothes appearing on the catwalk to a multitude of other elements: set design, soundtrack, casting choices, a celebrity-packed front row all help create buzz that, on occasion, can drown out the impact of the collection itself. (Although anyone who thinks that visual feasts are purely an advent of the Instagram age would do well to revisit the couture shows of John Galliano for Christian Dior.)

While our seemingly insatiable appetite for street-style images has changed the visual reporting of fashion weeks by documenting the goings-on outside the shows as closely as those on the catwalks.

And the plague of catwalk copies ripped off and produced before the real thing can be released led to many designers experimenting with 'see now, buy now' collections, attempting to retrofit them into established calendars and schedules.

Not to mention the costs associated with creating a fashion show that is over in minutes: invoices in the thousands can be racked up on models, hair, make-up, lighting, soundtrack, venue, security, catering, seating, before taking into account the clothes themselves. Such expenditures put huge financial pressures on young brands, many of which have begun to eschew the system and operate direct to consumer.

Now, as Covid has largely caused the fashion world to press pause on in-person events and the sort of cheek-by-jowl seating that would cause an epidemiologist sleepless nights, it was inevitable that brands would rise to the challenge of designing a new fashion week for the digital frontier, encompassing fashion films, interviews and live events in order to communicate ideas for the new season in innovative ways.

But just what's in store? Read on for the highlights to look out for over the next few weeks.

New York Fashion Week

New York fashion week is known as home to some of the biggest brand names in fashion. Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta may not share aesthetics or business models, but they have the sort of name recognition that transcends the industry.

But in the wake of 9/11 in 2001 and the global financial crash of 2008, a younger cohort of designers has been able to emerge from the long shadows of those household names.

The same appears to be true right now: many of the bigger brands can afford to take a pause from the show schedule without worrying about dropping off the radar entirely, making way for a host of emerging names. Noteworthy rising talents include Maisie Wilen, Geoffrey Mac, Kimberley Goldson and Negris LeBrum.

In a show of support that transcends the titular geographic and chronological boundaries of NYFW, the CFDA has this season announced a new way of presenting its schedule. 'The American Collections' schedule will now include American designers showing 'off calendar and abroad'.

Tom Ford, Chairman of the CFDA, explained: 'The events of the past year have only highlighted the need for flexibility within the fashion system.

'Wherever or however American designers choose to show their collections, it is our job as the CFDA to honour our original mission statement and to help promote and support American fashion. Therefore, we will publish on the schedule not only the schedule of designers showing in New York during New York Fashion Week but also those of American designers showing off calendar and abroad.'

As well as appearing as live streams on brand websites and social media feeds, events will be broadcast on the Runway360 platform from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

London Fashion Week: 19 - 23 February

Last April, the British Fashion Council (BFC) announced that the existing men's and women's London Fashion Weeks (LFW) would be merged into one gender-neutral platform for the next 12 months.

Taking the coronavirus response one step further, June saw the launch of LFW as a digital platform accessible by both industry professionals and interested consumers.

Storytelling is key to the new format, according to Caroline Rush CBE, chief executive of the BFC, who stressed that this is an opportunity to share more than just new collections: 'we hope that as well as personal perspectives on this difficult time, there will be inspiration in bucketloads. It is what British fashion is known for.'

Showcasing the breadth of the London fashion offering, the official five-day schedule is packed with events to get excited about.

So what should you expect? Some brands may have new collections to present, others will be sharing creative assets and interpretations around current collections. Collections new or not so new, there will be plenty of behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, zine launches, digital presentations and even parties.

The fashion brands of London (with a few notable exceptions) lack the financial clout of those in other cities, and as such are used to devising ways to make a big impact on limited resources. Taking the show on the digital road is unlikely to change that plucky ethos, and in fact will no doubt cause designers elsewhere to rethink their own approach to sharing ideas in the future.

London Fashion Week, Friday 19 to Tuesday 23 February 2020, can be accessed here. Read on for the Culture Whisper pick of events.

LFW day one highlights, Friday 19 February

10:10am DiscoveryLAB presents: SABIRAH by DEBORAH LATOUCHE in collaboration with Toni & Guy

10:45am Bethany Williams (film)

11am My Wardrobe HQ x Belstaff panel discussion

1pm Edward Crutchley winter collection presentation

2:15pm Matty Bovan presents 'Odyssey' fashion film

3:30pm LYPH (video presentation)

4:15pm Tod's and Central Saint Martins MA Fashion present Legacy

4:45pm Church's (film)

5pm Labrum London presents St Giles Blackbirds digital showcase

LFW day two highlights, Saturday 20 February

11am Palmer//Harding 'I Love You' collection film launch

11:15am MAXXIJ collection presentation

12pm Sonia Carrasco #SCavethearts fall/winter film

3pm Stephen Jones Millinery, autumn/winter collection film French Kiss

3:30pm 16ARLINGTON collection

4:15pm Ahluwalia Traces AW21 film

5pm Molly Goddard AW21 show

LFW day three highlights, Sunday 21 February

10:30AM DiscoveryLAB Presents: MASHA POPOVA in collaboration with Toni & Guy

11:15AM MARQUES'ALMEIDA X NENNY AW21 fashion film

11:30AM A.W.A.K.E. MODE AW21 collection presentation

11:45AM Bianca Saunders 'Super Imposed' AW21 film

12PM Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

LFW day four highlights, Monday 22 February

11:30AM Emilia Wickstead

11:45AM TOGA Archives film

12PM JORDANLUCA

12:30PM Hillier Bartley jewellery capsule collection presentation

1PM Burberry AW21 menswear presentation

1:30PM Roksanda AW21 collection film launch

3PM Fashion Values launch film and conversation

LFW day five highlights, Tuesday 23 February

11AM dunhill autumn/winter 21 presentation

11:30AM Susan Fang 'AIR-TIME' AW21 collection film

12:15PM Completedworks AW21 film

2PM Simone Rocha

2:30PM Rixo Bridal collection launch film

2:45PM Isoscles lingerie

3PM Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design

4:30PM A circular fashion ecosystem panel conversation

5:30PM Erdem

5:45PM Fashion East