As Fashion East Celebrates A Game-Changing 20 Years, We Talk To Its Designers About Creating Collections During The Pandemic

Inspired by Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio, an 18th century book of illustrated fables, Yuhan Wang's exquisitely rendered collection is a exploration of feminine power. 'I want to devote the collection to the solidarity, strength and power of healing that we continue to witness amongst seemingly 'anonymous' female key workers,' Wang says in the press release.

It all started with a painting, The Ideal Man by Hans Eijkelboom, who asked various women to describe their ideal man and then dressed as these ideals for a portrait series in 1978. For SS21, Saunders devised several of her own ideals, including the 'gangster pretending to be corporate', the 'super nerd at dancehall concert' and the 'college grad with diploma'. 'I am always interested in our characters, and how to express this through clothing,' she said in the press release. Whichever strikes a chord, the pieces were highly wantable, from the sharp-shouldered shirts to the trench coats with spare detailing save for oversized storm flaps.

Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault's collection was a 'mutual yearning for optimism and hope amid uncertain times.' In Petals, the short film directed by Harley Weir, their models were revolving slowly on a platform, mimicking the life cycle of flowers and how it mirrors the designers' experience of both 'the ceaseless nature of the fashion system' but also 'the potential for rebirth and change that this moment holds.' The clothes, with their fizzing colour palette and their off-beat silhouettes, would certainly inch their wearer a little closer to optimism.

His SS21 collection will be premiering in one week's time, but for now, Jonathan Anderson tapped one of fashion's hottest duos for his short film. Actor Emma Corrin, The Crown's star-in-the-making, and her stylist, Harry Lambert, meet for a natter at a coffee shop before wandering through Soho. They arrive at JW Anderson's Brewer Street shop, oooing and ahhing over everything from the sleek backpacks to inflatable coats, before Anderson arrives to walk his two fans through the selection.

For SS21, Christopher Kane didn't want to create clothes. What he did want to do, as he told his interviewer Kirsty Wark, was return to a childhood hobby: making glitter paintings out of glitter and glue. He bought £2,000 worth of the stuff - using the first batch within a week - and made what he called glitter portraits and 'mindscapes', beautiful large-scale paintings made from paints, glitter and glue. 'Once I got cracking, it was everywhere and I just went crazy. I had to get it out.' He did make a small capsule of clothing that has been digitally-printed with the paintings, but the artwork was an importance response to the fear he felt, about the unknown but also about being relevant. 'I didn't want to create clothes, I wanted to do something else. I'm not going to forget my roots. I love fashion and I love the process, but for me, it was the change element and how we have to process that going forward. I don't want to be in this position next year doing thousands of pieces, which is just pointless, because it's hardcore out there. The retail environment is really suffering,' he told Wark.

Like most of us, Victoria Beckham's day-to-day life was totally disrupted during lockdown. She started creating her pre-collection out of her back garden, and worked with a much smaller team for SS21. In her film's introduction, she talks about what questions they asked themselves at the start of the creative process. 'What has changed? Who do we want to be? What will we desire?' After seeing her virtual catwalk, the answer is 'everything', from the floor-sweeping frog green trousers to the leopard print slip dress to the chunky chain necklaces. 'This collection is about freedom - to explore, to dress up, to be yourself.'

Erdem turned to a tree-lined setting for his show, this time the ancient Epping Forest. Inspired by Susan Sontag's The Volcano Lover, a historical romantic novel published in 1992, it tells the story of Emma Hamilton. 'In the shadow of the volcano, she is a force to be reckoned with. Unrelenting in the face of adversity, she carved opportunity out of misfortune, purpose from insecurity, passion from chaos. How might we do likewise?' asks the press release, which also notes that the collection was conceived and produced in the extraordinary set of circumstances created by the pandemic. Nonetheless, the clothes were a typically sumptuous offering - puff-sleeved dresses floated along the forest floor, while crystal-studded opera gloves covered the models' arms - and, as a final flourish, the designer appeared between the trees for a finale bow.

Phoebe English has been right at the forefront of the fashion industry's fight against coronavirus, creating the Emergency Designer Network, along with fellow designers Bethany Williams and Holly Fulton, which helps galvanise small-scale producers to make PPE. That goes some way towards explaining why the designer was, according to the press release, 'seeking comfort in a time of seemingly endless crisis', for SS21. Entitled Nothing New Part Two, the collection is a continuation of Part One, shown in February, and is focused simply on using 'everything we have'. Quite literally. The collection includes oak, collected during lockdown walks to make oak dye, and locally-sourced food waste like avocado stones from nearby cafes, as well as silk off-cuts from digital print companies. 'In a world of preservation emergency, it seems impossible to constantly shift our focus to the 'new'. In an act of preservation, each fabric we have used has come from everything we have.'

Directed by Viviane Sassen, Toga's SS21 collection was about clothing that was made with 'strong bodies for sports' in mind. This translated into swimming caps, some of which came emblazoned with Speedo, and combinations like pleated skirts worn over skin-tight leggings, or anorak coats worn with optic white pumps. 'These were means to reexamine the world one thinks one knows and to redefine what already exists,' reads the release.

For his offering at London Fashion Week, Osman Yousefzada co-wrote a poem with Makayla Forde, an artist and academic, whose reading becomes the soundtrack of his short film entitled, Here To Stay. Those three words are loaded with history and meaning for Yousefzada. "'Here To Stay' was the chant that my uncle and elder cousins used in the '80s to fight racism on the streets: against police brutality; against the racism of state institutions in housing and immigration; against the pay gap; and for equal access to education. The chant still feels relevant today, at a time when BLM activism has given a voice to marginalised communities.' After pausing for a season, SS21 marks the first collection under his full name, Osman Yousefzada. As well as creating a concept called Last Yards, where the designer's most treasured fabrics found on inspiration trips will be used to produce short runs of limited-edition pieces, he is partnering with artisans in Pakistan and India, using their expertise on things like vegetable dyes to create unique prints for the Capsule Collection.

These might be unusual circumstances, but that isn't stopping the wheels turning at Fashion East, especially as the talent incubator, responsible for some of the capital's most pioneering design talent, is celebrating a major milestone. Its 20th birthday. Its four designers - Maximilian Davis, Goom Heo, Nensi Dojaka and Saul Nash - showed just how well fashion and film go together, with individual premieres that ran one after another and proved to be some of the most exciting on the schedule so far. From Nash's clifftop catwalk, where dancers showed off the transformability of his clothes, to Heo's GoPro footage, it was a fittingly innovative anniversary gift to Fashion East.

To Palmer / Harding, the pandemic has renewed an appreciation for family, both the ones we're born into and the ones we choose. It's also brought positive change to the fashion industry, starting long-time-coming conversations about production schedules and sustainability. In a truly touching short film, the two designers nodded to both, deciding to re-showcase their winter collection, using pieces previously unseen, on generations of their nearest and dearest. Harding's grandmother, mother, sister and (very sweet) niece all appear, smiling at the camera from his childhood home in Ricksmansworth, while Palmer's family in the US, who were all shot over Zoom, model from the landscapes of Westphalia, Dallas and LA. A real highlight.

In Ciao Bello (Goodbye Normal), Liam Hodges documents a trip that would be his last for a little while. In January, he travelled to Milan, showing his collection, entitled 'Brand Old World, New Ideas' and packed full of sustainable innovations, as part of Fashion East. Due to the knock-on effects of coronavirus, the collection's production schedule was delayed and will only be arriving from this month onwards. In the meantime, watching footage from the show's after-party certainly brings memories of the 'old normal' back to the surface.

During a fashion week where most designers opted to show via screenings or private appointments, Paria Farzaneh made the brave decision to ask select editors and buyers to travel to Amersham. Settled in a wide expanse of open field, they watched as fire and smoke took over the landscape, with models emerging in camouflage, utilitywear and tailoring spliced with streetwear. This was no ordinary theatrics, but political commentary aimed squarely at the 'troubles in America' and how they have personally affected team members. From Steph, who was forced to evacuate her home because of the wildfires raging along the west coast, to Clare, who was pepper-sprayed by police in Chicago, their message is simply that we must keep carrying on. 'The time has come for us to take this opportunity and push for change. We must stick to what we want, what we know, to our ability to create art and keep it alive,' reads the press release.

Directed by George Lawrence, and choreographed by Théïa Maldoom, Emilio De la Morena's film of five dancers reflected on five troubles that, to him, seemed universal during lockdown: noise, obsession, rage, sex/love and money. As well as creating a collection of form-fitting bodysuitting, Morena also produced several artwork installations that expressed these experiences, both of which will be exhibited from tomorrow at London's Noho Studios.

Emilia Wickstead's film, soundtracked with a soothing score of violins and piano, had us yearning for the opportunity to wear full-skirted sundresses and elegant bra tops once again. Inspired by the Faery Lands of the South Seas, a 1921 travel book discovered on her daughter's nightstand, and featuring some brilliant casting, with appearances from Tank's Caroline Issa and Matches Fashion's Ruth Chapman, the collection mused on the balance between fantasy and refined simplicity. The sailing boat print - sharp blue against white - was beautiful to behold, as was the taupe three-piece suit.

The line that stood out on the press release at Simone Rocha? 'Looking for comfort and security in the extreme,' which translated into translucent coats with bulbous sleeves, beaded harness bras over red-on-white print frocks, pearl hairnets and elaborate ruffle collars. Magical.

It wasn't just Goddard's typically brilliant creations on show for SS21 but also a new capsule collection she designed in collaboration with UGG. Comprised of three different styles, Goddard has reimagined some of UGG's classic boots, adding details like floral appliqué and vibrant colours. On sale in March 2021, these were worn with pieces from a collection that can only be described as an explosion of colour. Goddard said this was a reaction to how 'dark and depressing the last few months had been.' The designer set out to make a pared-back, neutral collection but instead gave us all an optimistic array of neon pink tulle, yellow polka dots, green and black checkerboard prints and her signature ballgown silhouettes. The perfect antidote for which we're all crying out.

What does glamour mean now? Is there a place for it in our current climate? 16Arlington certainly thinks so. Only, for the duo behind the brand, real-life couple Marco Capaldo and Federica Cavenati, their usual all-out excess was tempered heavily by the pandemic, as you might expect. This resulted in a thoughtful collection of bias-cut satin dresses, silk separates and meticulously crafted leather pieces. It's infused with all the joy and celebration of glamour we've come to expect from the brand but this time, it's easier, even more wearable. As they wrote in their press release: 'The drama and the disco will return – but the label is forever changed.'

If ever you needed proof of fashion's potential power to create positive change, Bethany Williams is exactly that. A tour de force in every sense, her latest collection wasn't just beautiful to look at, it celebrated the ethos of the Magpie Project, a charity which works with immigrant women and their children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, largely due to the fact that they are denied access to healthcare or state benefits. Entitled 'All Our Children', the collection took inspiration in the stories and lives of those Williams met while volunteering for the Magpie Project. She even worked with an illustrator to incorporate some of the children's drawings, which were translated to prints and patterns. 20% of all proceeds will go the charity, as Williams proves that fashion can truly be a force for change.

Art School's collection was intended to be a message of hope in this uncertain time, which is apt for a brand which strives to represent queerness, community and kinship. It was creative director Eden Loweth's first show without co-founder Tom Barratt, presented in a park in Highgate, London. Divided into three block colours – midnight blue, green and black – the collection paid tribute to the people who represent Art School's ever-growing and ever-crucial community.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that there's sheer joy to be found in elegant clothes which make their wearer feel like the best version of themselves. This is undoubtedly what Duro Olowu creates and for SS21, this was evident in abundance. Inspired by the work of Emma Amos, an acclaimed African-American painter who died earlier this year, Olowu channeled her use of colour and hand-painted striped prints in his glorious sundresses, pristine separates and wide leg trousers that could be mistaken for the most stylish loungewear ever created. Just what we need.

'Something feminine, sensual. Something to feel good in. Something from the heart', read the notes about Colville's SS21 collection. If ever we needed such a collection, it's surely now, and this is one that is undoubtedly designed by women – Lucinda Chambers and Molly Molloy – who understand what other women really want to wear. And beyond the clothes, Colville collaborates with artisans in La Guajira in Northern Colombia and in Mexico's Chiapas region, championing traditional skills and offering ongoing financial support to communities which are more in need of it now than ever before.

For everyone who has missed the luxury of travel this year, Eudon Choi made a collection to celebrate sun-drenched holidays on the Amalfi Coast. In a series of socially-distanced presentations, Choi revealed a SS21 offering inspired by images of a holidaying Jackie Kennedy, resulting in a mix of crisp cotton sun dresses, easy linen pieces and luxurious silks. The designer also teamed up with British ceramicists Liv & Dom to create a limited-edition jewellery and homeware collection, which will be on sale next spring.

For SS21, Malone put his own inimitable spin on luxury, referring to many of the looks in his new collection as 'loungewear'. Well, if this is the new comfort, sign us up. As well as the beauty of the clothes, Illamasqua's global director of artistry, Pablo Rodriguez, create a makeup look he named 'masterpiece minimalism'. It was a 'barely there, statement' beauty inspired by the way in which light falls on skin in oil paintings.

For SS21, Rixo dived underwater with a collection called 'Ariel'. With a backdrop painted with starfish and seashells, and bottles filled with beach-combed treasure, it made us yearn for carefree holidays.

For SS21, Matty Bovan created something entirely new out of something partially old. Future Olde England, which was inspired by England's past, present and future, features modern interpretations of doublets, shields and rugby shirts which you can see being draped and stitched together in the designer's short film, shot in a 19th century chapel in York. As well as using leftover fabrics from previous seasons (Liberty's Tana Lawn print features heavily), the designer repurposed the last show's shoes, repainting them anew. 'The process has always been so important to me, making this a non-sterile practice; the mess, the life, the energy, not lost from the pieces, no mere product design of blank ideas, but creativity, desirability and transparency,' Bovan says in the press release.

I'll wager anyone would want real life to look like Preen by Thornton Bregazzi's short film right now. Stitch Me Back Together With Gold opened with an idyllic scene involving a crystal-clear stream and a wooden punt (which was cushioned with its frilly blankets and pillows). The collection was inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art for mending broken pottery, and you could see the effect on the frocks, some of which were puzzled together out of multifarious fabrics, and the earrings.

For SS21, Vivienne Westwood assembled a tribe that included model-activists (Georgia Palmer), poets (Kai Isaiah-Jamal), musicians (Ursula Holliday) and street performers (Dott Cotton Clown) to model her unisex protest fashion in a film that combined clothes with street theatre. As the press release read: 'Buy less, dress up, swap clothes.'

As one of the only physical shows to go ahead, Bora Aksu spoke to the strange set circumstances with which he was faced by looking backwards, specifically to 1918, the year of the world's deadliest flu pandemic to date. Drawing inspiration from the era's young women, who swapped their ball gowns for nurse uniforms in the great war, but also to the '20s, a decade of rebellion and prosperity, the collection featured diaphanous dresses and, naturally, transparent organza face coverings.

Michael Halpern's SS21 collection celebrates the bravery of key workers. Set against a beautifully paint-splattered (and rainbow-tinged) background, The Heroines Of The Front Lineis a truly uplifting piece of fashion film, starring eight very special women, from Latifah, a night tube driver, to Arianna, a nurse working in the intensive care unit at Homerton Hospital. Halpern made two looks inspired by each, drawing on their 'individuality, courage and joie de vivre.' What a tribute.

Alice Temperley wove a tapestry of references - Bridget Riley's op art, Talitha Getty's Palais de la Zahia - into a collection that captured the mood of the Swinging Sixties. The short film, aired this morning and shot on a pebble beach, brought the idea of escapism roaring to the surface, escapism that happens through 'timeless artisan treasures' according to the release.

A whopping 43,000 tuned in on Twitch, a live-streaming platform, to watch Burberry SS21, an ambitious collaboration between Riccardo Tisci, chief creative officer, and Anne Imhof, a famous performance artist, that took the catwalk to a flood-lit forest clearing somewhere in the countryside. The clothes certainly cut a dash against their green surroundings, with flashes of electric blue, bright white and orange, as well as supple leather and sequins, illuminated by the sunshine.

Instead of a collection, Marques' Almeida used their slot on the digital schedule to launch SEE-THROUGH, a brand new periodical publication that is a love letter to makers, processes and values that are making a more transparent fashion industry. It asked its community of creatives the simple question, 'Who are you and what is important to you right now?' receiving pieces and portraits that are set out in the periodical's pages. The designers also took the opportunity to formally set out its sustainability goals, the M'A Environmental And Social Responsibility Manifesto, announcing, for example, its approach to sourcing fabrics and new initiatives like the M'A Foundation.