LONDON FASHION WEEK MEN’S OPENS FOR BUSINESS
On Saturday, January 6, Dylan Jones OBE, chair of London Fashion Week Men’s (LFWM) and Caroline Rush CBE, chief executive British Fashion Council (BFC) opened London Fashion Week Men’s as a celebration of discovery and the creative diversity that has made London an international hub for menswear. From British heritage to emerging labels and vibrant street-wear brands, the twelfth edition of the London menswear showcase runs from Saturday, January 6 – Monday, January 8 and pays homage to the ever-expanding creativity of the capital.
The morning opened with a welcome to international retailers, press, designers, media outlets, BFC patrons, industry partners and government to the home of LFWM at 180 Strand and featured a specially commissioned performance from the South London poet James Massiah. Massiah’s work explores ideas about sexuality, mortality & ethics through performance writing and visual media. He has performed readings of his work at the Tate Modern, The Courtauld Institute of Art and the Houses of Parliament and past commissions include the BBC, Guardian, Selfridges, Loewe, and Nike.
“We look forward to starting January 2018 with London Fashion Week Men’s as a celebration of London as a global center for creativity and innovation,” said Jones. “From fashion to art, design, music and popular culture, our international audience use LFWM to experience our city’s melting pot of creative industries and the best of British retail. News that growth in the UK menswear market is predicted to outstrip womenswear and reach £16.2billion by 2021, is promising news for our designers and further cements the UK’s importance as a global business destination.”
“The breadth of talent and diversity of our LFWM designers, contributors and collaborators is a testament to the vibrancy and openness of London,” added Rush. “This season sees Craig Green, British Designer of the Year at the recent Fashion Awards, present his collection alongside British Emerging Talent Menswear Winner Charles Jeffrey, New Gen recipient Grace Wales Bonner and British heritage brand Belstaff. Collaborations this season include the co-curation of the LFWM DiscoveryLAB with GQ Style’s Fashion Director Elgar Johnson and live performances by poet James Massiah, graffiti artist Ben Eine and perfumer Timothy Han.”