London Fashion Week Goes Digital For SS21

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced plans to host all SS21 London Fashion Week (LFW) events on a digital platform following fears during COVID-19 and the cancellation of London Fashion Week Men’s which had been scheduled to take place in June. 

LFW will now be a combination of both women and men’s collections, showcased together in September, and held remotely with no audience; everything will be streamed via a digital platform. Some will argue a virtual fashion week will remove the glitz, glam, and exclusivity of the event as ticketed shows will be obsolete. Viewers will be able to access runway shows, presentations, and interviews from the comfort of their homes, and, as the platform will be open to the press and general public, the event will now be more widely accessible. LFW is following suit after the success of Tokyo Fashion Week which was held virtually in March 2020 after the initial outbreak of Coronavirus. 

This news comes after complaints for the past few seasons on the sustainability and relevance of fashion week in today’s environmental climate. A digital fashion week will certainly be more kind to the planet and will take some of the pressure off the fashion industry which is currently struggling as a whole. 

Maybe this is fashions new normal? It’s certainly a chance to reassess outdated practices, look at environmental effects, and reinvent itself for the new decade. 

Next up, Thom Browne Presents An Elaborate 18thCentury Inspired SS20 Collection