London Fashion Week’s digital-only schedule, rolling out from Friday to Sunday, means that you don’t need a ticket, a lanyard or a sympathetic press officer on the door to be granted entry. This season, it’s very much access all areas, with a new hashtag, #LFWReset, and a jam-packed calendar of films, live discussions, DJ nights, podcasts and virtual galleries, giving womenswear and menswear designers the opportunity to share their experiences from the last few months with anyone who wants to tune in.
Highlights from the schedule, which features 34 designers, include Bianca Sanders’s panel discussion with Joshua Woods, Jess Cole and Matt Holmes; Charles Jeffrey Loverboy’s virtual club night and Marques’ Almeida’s documentary about its new sub-brand reM’Ade, a collection made exclusively with dead stock and recycled fabrics. And don’t worry if you’ve got a walk scheduled over the weekend. Once content has been published, it’ll be available to watch at any point.
For the first time, the public will also be able to get involved, not just from the virtual ‘front row’ but from the ‘catwalk’. John Lewis & Partners and the BFC have teamed up to celebrate the power of self-expression, asking the nation to dress up in their most joy-inducing outfits and share videos of their very own catwalk moments with the hashtag #LFWCatwalkChallenge and @johnlewisandpartners tag. Not only will the highlights be made into a film that’s broadcast as part of Sunday’s festivities, but John Lewis will donate £5 to the BFC’s Foundation Fashion Fund for the Covid Crisis for every video submitted.
As well as the scheduled events at specific times, they’ll also be an ‘Explore’ section of London Fashion Week’s new digital home, where the BFC, brand partners, media outlets and retailers have contributed content. Farfetch, the global luxury fashion platform, has created a film series, where four British design talents (16 Arlington, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Erdem and Roksanda) speak to four Chinese influencers (Sunni, Dipsy, Anny Fan and Fil Xiaobai). The BFC is also launching its Fashion Forum podcast, kicking off with a conversation between Tinie Tempah and GQ’s editor-in-chief Dylan Jones.
The third and final element is the designer profile pages, which will be activated from Friday, with introductions to their work, their social media activity and their press/sales contacts information.
Check the London Fashion Week website, relaunching on Friday, for information on how to join each event. Oh, and get strutting...