London Fashion Week opens with student designs, sustainability and celebs | Canada Voices

In a maverick move, London Fashion Week kicked off Thursday in Soho with a presentation of new designs by graduates from Birmingham City University. It was the first time student work has opened the 41-year-old fashion event in a city known for birthing expressive sartorial moments, from punk to the playfully outré (an aesthetic celebrated in a new exhibition at London’s Design Museum about the Blitz Club and its instrumental role in shaping 1980s style).

BCU’s packed presentation featured a cache of outfits by 10 fashion grads including Rohan Scott’s sculptural leatherwear made through the process of wet forming, where the natural fabric is dampened and moulded into shape; and Jasmine Jolley’s voluminous separates, inspired by her grandmother’s worn sofa.

A spectrum of ideas was on display, not only when it came to design but also in terms of sustainability. Designer Emily Brookes used a variety of deadstock fabrics to craft the exaggerated silhouettes of her genderless ensembles, while Lauren Broxton re-purposed leather waste in her collection of bold garments and accessories. Broxton’s eponymous studio is based in the Midlands, the historical home of Britain’s saddlery and leathergoods industry – and Broxton’s hometown.

Irish creative Megan Ginn drew influence from the tradition of Aran knitwear for her innovative collection. She constructed the pieces using an algae-based biomaterial she developed, employing it to bond wool to other fabrics. Ginn noted the material makes it possible for a garment to be reshaped after each wear, allowing it to uniquely “evolve.”

Notable knits were also proffered by Canadian-born, London-based designer Mark Fast. A favourite of celebrities like Ashley Graham and Chloe Bailey, Fast’s body-flaunting fashions have been featured in inclusivity-centred exhibitions, thanks to his longtime championing of using non-size zero models in his shows. The designer’s new collection featured a range of saucy, second-skin styles showcasing his signature beguiling weaving techniques, as well as salt-bleached denim and delicate lace pieces.

Closing out the first evening, H&M’s runway spectacle at 180 Strand – the main hub of London Fashion Week this season – drew the likes of Little Simz, Richie Shazam, Charithra Chandran and Emily Ratajkowski to its front row. The affair won the approval of the many international influencers in the crowd, who clapped and snapped for the show’s cast of nepo baby (Lila Moss, Romeo Beckham) and social media star (Marlon Lundgren Garcia) catwalkers. More meaningful was the audience’s warm reception of transgender model Alex Consani, a person whose very existence is under attack in many parts of the world.

For its inaugural runway event in London, the Swedish megabrand showcased three “acts” of designs that reflected a range of influences, from ‘90s britpop to natty Saville Row tailoring. Nods to 1920s Flappers came by way of lean frocks fringed with metallic embellishments, while the contemporary preference for outsized proportions was a throughline – the best example being a trio of oversized argyle knit outfits accessorized with large faux fur clutches and thigh-high boots.

South London singer Lola Young performed two indie-pop numbers to wrap up the pageantry as the audience sang along and the models danced through their final walk. It was an exhilarating beginning to what’s expected to be an exciting few days ahead.