Climate change activists brought flares, wore gas masks, stopped traffic with a street protest as they demanded the cancellation of the five-day style extravaganza, London Fashion Week
Climate change activists stole the show on the opening day of London Fashion Week, stopping traffic with a street protest as they demanded the cancellation of the British capital’s five-day style extravaganza. Dozens of protesters from the Extinction Rebellion group drew attention — and anger from some drivers — as they fired colorful smoke flares into the air and blocked busy intersections in central London near the fashion events. Some protesters wore gas masks and dresses made from chains, while others carried placards reading “no fashion on a dead planet.”
They called on the British Fashion Council to take more action to lobby for environmental policies. It was an eventful day at London Fashion Week, which brings crowds of style editors, photographers, models and celebrities to the city twice a year. Burberry, Victoria Beckham, Tommy Hilfiger, Erdem and Christopher Kane are among the leading fashion houses and designers showcasing their latest fall and winter creations over the next few days.
Organisers of London Fashion Week have said they want to help promote sustainability and create positive change within the industry. This season, the trade show is featuring a “Positive Fashion” exhibition and a “swap shop” where visitors will be able to exchange used clothes for donated items.
Most fashion week attendees, however, will have their eyes firmly trained on new season offerings. On Saturday, Temperley London staged four catwalk shows that were open to the public as part of a wider drive to make the displays — traditionally only accessible to fashion insiders and VIPs — more public-facing and instantly available to the masses.
The brand, adored by fans for its romantic evening and bridal wear, showcased summer dresses with bold prints and an array of opulent and ultra-feminine evening gowns featuring plenty of ruffles, jeweled embellishments, sheer fabrics and show-stopping sequins.
Gale force winds and a deluge of rain may be causing havoc to much of Britain, but for the fashion crowd the show must go on. Storm Dennis didn’t stop models, celebrities and fashion insiders from donning their finest to attend the fashion week. American streetwear designer Tommy Hilfiger also made a guest appearance, showing neon yellow tracksuits and luxury sportswear in a collaboration collection with Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton.
Cameras flashed as the Beckham family turned out in style to support Spice Girl-turned-designer Victoria Beckham, who staged her catwalk show at central London’s grand Banqueting Hall. Her sons Romeo and Cruz shared the front row with father and former soccer star David Beckham, while 8-year-old Harper got a comfy seat in her father’s lap.
On the catwalk, models wore checked shirts, smart tailored coats, culottes and velvet blazers, all paired with skin-tight, thigh-high leather boots in shades from blue to bright red. Beckham said “we’re using the boot to throw things off in a little bit of a strange way.”
Elsewhere, French designer Roland Mouret turned to 1980s London under Margaret Thatcher for inspiration. There were double-breasted blazers, exaggerated shoulders and androgynous suits; a sugary pink boxy blazer, worn with matching culottes, stood out in a mostly austere palette of greys, khakis and monochrome.
The fashion industry has come under increasing scrutiny from green groups, and Mouret — who counts Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, among his celebrity fans — was keen to respond to calls for more transparent and environmentally-friendly practices. Sustainable fashion “is at the heart of my collection in a time where the process of creating clothes carries with it a personal responsibility,” he said, and emphasised that he aimed for the brand to be carbon neutral within the year.