UNITED KINGDOM: London Fashion Week kicks off with designers facing economic gloom

Record ID: 197521

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: London Fashion Week kicks off with designers facing economic gloom
  • Date: 21st February 2009
  • Summary: WIDE OF HALLWAY OF FASHION TENT VARIOUS OF STALL WITH CLOTHES ON RAIL CLOSE OF SHOES
  • Embargoed: 8th March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Fashion
  • Reuters ID: LVADMI6AM9ONB33ZH8HO8SGR7SNT
  • Story Text: London Fashion Week kicked off Friday (February 20) with the global economic downturn on many people's minds.
    London celebrates its 25th year with a reduced schedule squeezed between New York and Milan fashion weeks, which along with Paris remain the biggest draws for designers and buyers.
    The squeeze on London may force some overseas buyers to skip the event, which organizers say generates orders of about 100 million pounds (143.3 million USD), since it overlaps by a day at either end with the shows in New York and Milan.
    London's champions say they are fighting back with efforts to reinflate the schedule to five days and add other features to support designers and attract buyers.
    British Fashion Council (BFC) Chairman Harold Tillman said he has reached an understanding with U.S. organizers that will allow London to expand its schedule in September to a full five days.
    He added that the economic worries affecting other businesses affected fashion too.

    "Nobody's immune from this downturn. I don't like the word recession. The fact is, it makes more of a level playing field for newness for new designers to get on the business schedule as against trying to compete with the huge brands that have world-orientated for the last 20 years. So there is some benefit at times for things to be scaled backwards, to give others an opportunity," he told Reuters Television.
    Last week many New York designers had to downsize their normal catwalk fares in favour of smaller, more intimate presentations. But asked whether the British capital would be following in the footsteps of their counterparts across the Atlantic, Tillman said probably not.

    "We have an advantage at the moment in as much as we have a weak pound so tourism and business in London is excellent at the moment due to the currency. America had that benefit 2-3 years ago when the dollar was weak so we're quite fortunate, from that point of view," he said.
    The BFC, which organizes fashion week, also said it is trying to offset February's shortened schedule by housing both catwalk shows and exhibitions at the same location and that it will also hold its first dedicated menswear showcase this year in a city long famous for its tailored Savile Row suits.
    Among some of the upcoming highlights of the week include shows by British fashion stalwarts Vivienne Westwood, Luella, and Paul Smith. Young designers Christopher Kane, House of Holland, Louise Goldin and Marios Schwab will also show collections, with a debut appearances from Kinder Agguni.
    London Fashion WeekWednesday (February 24).
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