Introduction to the British Fashion Council’s Summer Party
On Monday evening, a gathering of numerous designers, retailers, press, PRs, educators, and others took place at the Serpentine Gallery in London for the annual summer party of the British Fashion Council. This year’s event was filled with fresh energy as members of the BFC community awaited the announcement from their new CEO, Laura Weir.
A New Era for British Fashion
Weir addressed the crowd, stating, "Tonight we are here not to celebrate the next British fashion season, but the next British fashion era." Her words were met with cheers from the audience. She expressed her sentiment that the creative British capital has been dormant since Brexit and Covid, and that it is time to reset.
Announcing Major Changes
Weir used the summer party as an opportunity to reveal her first major steps in her role after taking over from Caroline Rush. One significant announcement was that, starting from September, designers who are members of the BFC will no longer have to pay for the London Fashion Week. This move aligns with smaller fashion weeks like Berlin and Stockholm.
Investing in London Fashion Week
Weir emphasized that Fashion Week is a valuable piece of national IP and the shop window for what creative Great Britain looks like. The BFC will also double its investment in the London Fashion Week host program to encourage more global press and buyers to participate. Government officials from Hong Kong, India, and the Middle East have shown interest in learning more about the London Fashion Week and investing millions in building their own local platforms.
Supporting Design Talent
Weir noted that investments in culture lead to a nation’s commercial and reputation success. She acknowledged that Britain has the fashion week, creativity, and ambition, but lacks the infrastructure to support, create, show, and scale design talent in the country. This has led to design talent being lost to cities like Paris, Milan, and Berlin, not due to a lack of creativity, but due to the lack of infrastructure.
