London Fashion Week: All hail the gender-neutral catwalk as showcase kicks off

Gender-neutral fashion weeks have been heralded as the future of the industry ahead of London’s latest major showcase.

The second London Fashion Week of the year begins on Friday in a June slot in the fashion calendar that had traditionally been held exclusively for the presentation of menswear collections.

But after LFW went genderless during the pandemic as part of efforts to support the industry, the chief executive of the British Fashion Council has suggested the format is here to stay.

Caroline Rush said: “At the beginning of the global pandemic, in June 2020, we made the decision to merge London Fashion Week and London Fashion Week Men’s onto a digital platform, giving designers greater flexibility, a decision which was based on feedback from designers. The showcase has naturally evolved to support a future of fashion that eliminates gender constructs, encourages all to take part and gives designers the flexibility to participate in any edition that makes the most sense for their brand.”

The schedule includes more than 30 designers and organisations across a range of catwalk shows, presentations, appointments, events and digital shows.

The first catwalk show takes place this evening by womenswear designer Nina Doroushi. Highlights of the schedule include London-based menswear label Labrum on Saturday night and

Ahluwalia on Sunday, a London-born menswear designer of Nigerian-Indian heritage who also launched womenswear in a joint collection for spring-summer 2022.

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A lack of big names on the schedule this weekend in comparison to the bigger fashion weeks in February and September is seen by emerging designers as a chance to shine. Ms Rush added: “Events such as LFW highlight the rich cultural landscape that contributes to the success of the British fashion industry.”