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From the upcoming schedule to that big Raf Simons news, here’s your go-to guide to London Fashion Week SS23.
London Fashion Week will be back in September for the Spring/Summer shows, running from September 16 to 20. More than 100 designers have been confirmed on the provisional hybrid digital-physical schedule, released by the British Fashion Council.
The upcoming instalment marks Burberry‘s return to the LFW calendar, after a digital-only hiatus, and Raf Simons, who has previously shown his collections in Paris and New York, will make his LFW debut too.
As for the BFC NewGen show space, it will return to The Old Selfridges Hotel – the same location that hosted the biggest real-life shows at last year’s spring offering. Back then, more than half of collections were presented digitally due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to physical shows being more prevalent this time around, the return of the BFC’s city-wide celebration – a curated programme of events focused on ‘inclusivity and consciousness’ – is just one of the reasons LFW will be extra special this year (there’s more on this below).
Here’s everything you need to know about London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 23:
The provisional schedule for LFW SS23 has revealed that brands such as Emilia Wickstead, Erdem, JW Anderson, Huishan Zhang, Molly Goddard and Simone Rocha will be debuting their collections for the season.
They will be joined by the likes of Burberry, Raf Simons, Molly Goddard, Rejina Pyo and Roksanda.
Fashion Fund winner Richard Quinn is set to return to the LFW calendar, as well as Fashion Trust recipients Completedworks, Richard Malone, Supriya Lele and Tove.
Raf Simons will present his collection physically, and shows including Molly Goddard, Burberry, JW Anderson, Simone Rocha, Erdem and Roksanda will also be held in real life.
A final LFW schedule is expected to be released in mid-August. In the meantime, see the provisional one here.
Raf Simons will be showing his collection at LFW for the first time, after previously showing in Milan and Paris.
The Belgian designer founded his label in 2005 and is now co-creative director for Prada, after previously holding major tenures as creative director at Christian Dior and Jil Sander, as well as chief creative officer of Calvin Klein.
He will present his spring/summer collection at 8pm on Friday 16 September.
Simons said in a statement released on July 25: ‘It’s been a dream for a while to show in London – a city where fashion and creativity is omnipresent in the streets, and where I see exceptional people with a strong unique style. I’m extremely excited that this dream is becoming a reality now, and I’m very happy to welcome the amazing people and faces that make up the London scene to my show. Can’t wait to see you and dance the night away.’
Burberry will return after a brief hiatus and JW Anderson, who previously showed in Paris, will go back to his roots in London.
In other news, Victoria Beckham will be notably absent from the LFW agenda, as she’ll be joining the official Paris Fashion Week line-up, which takes place between September 26 and October 4.
Beckham previously staged shows in New York for several years, but later joined the LFW calendar in 2018 to mark her brand’s 10th anniversary. However, she hasn’t held a live show since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic – her last one took place in February 2020.
Other brands forsaking London for the French capital, include Australia’s Zimmermann, and London-based A.W.A.K.E. MODE.
The provisional schedule for Paris Fashion Week will be published on August 22.
The BFC has confirmed the return of its city-wide celebration – a curated programme of unique experiences and activations accessible to the public over LFW. It focuses on ‘inclusivity and consciousness’ to inspire forward-thinking fashion conversations by way of industry-wide engagement and partnerships.
A full schedule of events will be revealed later in the summer.
One burgeoning designer to highlight is Matty Bovan, who launched his capsule collection in 2020, under eponymous label Bovan.
Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana will support the Yorkshire-based British creator for his next fashion show, though it will be presented in Milan. This initiative resonates with Dolce&Gabbana’s commitment to supporting young talents.
With an emphasis on intricate craft, Bovan’s aesthetic ties in with the Italian house, and he’s already working alongside its style office on a new collection that will be presented during MFW, with Dolce & Gabbana supplying fabrics and materials.
Bovan said: ‘I am so excited to announce that I will be showing my next collection in Milan supported by Dolce & Gabbana.
‘Craft and handiwork are at the heart of my work, something that myself and this iconic maison have great affinity with; the synergy upon meeting Domenico and Stefano recently was palpable.
‘I’m still processing the idea that I am going to be exploring their archives and mixing their historic work with my new output for next spring. I’m already feeling the turbo charge of this alliance!’
Dolce & Gabbana’s Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have said: ‘The colours, proportions, and energy of Matty Bovan’s work reveal the tremendous research and creative process behind each piece.
‘We immediately had a special understanding with him; we are happy to be able to support Matty and the poetry of his vision.’
For SS22, the majority of shows were held digitally or via small appointment-only presentations to comply with Covid-19 measures at the time.
Victoria Beckham was amongst the designers to hold an intimate preview, meanwhile Roland Mouret premiered a film at the Soho Hotel.
Temperley London, Vivienne Westwood, Molly Goddard and JW Anderson were some of the brands who previewed their collection virtually.
The biggest IRL shows included Bora Aksu, David Koma, Erdem, Roland Mouret, Roksanda Richard Quinn and Simone Rocha.