by The sun is out and the style is set – this weekend London Fashion Week (Men) returns for its 40th year. And while June’s offering is more subtle on physical fashion shows, there’s still plenty to indulge in.
“This Fashion Week is so important because it’s an opportunity to highlight the city’s point of difference during men’s fashion month by celebrating British dressing in all its breadth, depth and glory,” says Council Chief Executive Caroline Rush. British fashion. “The program will ignite a cultural moment to give everyone a platform, from emerging brands to Savile Row, showcasing tie makers, grinders, shoemakers and independent direct-to-consumer brands including Labrum, Maharishi and Oliver Spencer.”
It all started with Craig Green’s runway return after two years with a Wednesday evening catwalk, followed by a fashion pub quiz, lots of talks you can now book, not to mention a very chic 5k run (not fashion people do’). t just drink champagne, everyone!). “This is a city of creativity and culture,” says Rush. Hear, hear – here’s what you can expect:
The talks
On Saturday, the ICA will host a series of fashion talks open to the public – and they’re worth booking now. They start at 11.15am with A Conversation on Diversity hosted by Maliha Shoaib, diversity journalist for Vogue Business with artist and performer Darkwah, writer and creative Simran Randhawa and Lea Ogunlami, presenter at iD. Afterwards, the Evening Standard’s own fashion director Victoria Moss will host fashion designers Charlie Casely-Hayford and Rejina Pyo in a discussion about “how to create, build and sustain a fashion brand” (12.45pm-1.30pm) before Kemi Alemoru, culture Journalist for the BBC, Dazed and Vogue, model and activist Munroe Bergdorf, model James Corbin and disability campaigner Victoria Jenkins tackle the issue of “expressive activism in the fashion industry” (2.15pm-3pm). Designer Charles Jeffrey will be in conversation with writer Raven Smith at 3.45pm for a highlight and a must visit for arts students. Chic food for thought. (£6, eventbrite.co.uk)
The shows to know
The showpiece this season is Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, who celebrates his 10th anniversary with a blowout SS25 show at Somerset House. For those keen to find out more about the label, born out of Mid-Saint Martins and East London’s queer club circuit, Somerset House is hosting a retrospective exhibition, The Lore of Loverboy, from this Saturday until Sunday, 1st September Autumn. It’s the year of HARRI, the up-and-coming latex label best known as the mastermind behind Sam Smith’s inflatable Brits 2023 suit, as well as catwalk shows with denzilpatrick, QASIMI and Peruvian designer Genaro Rivas. The schedule is polished with events counting model Kai-Isaiah Jamal’s Afternoon T party, for the trans+ and non-binary community, a South Asian exhibition with photographer Tami Aftab, and a music lounge profiling black artists hosted by broadcaster and presenter Clara Amfo . Something for everyone there.
The street style hack
How to stand out from the crowd? Embrace the summer of animal prints, says influencer Edie Liberty Rose, who has 297k Instagram followers. “Leopard print, zebra print, cow print – the more the better I think,” she says. “Wear lots of colors. Lots of jewelery and cute kitten heels will elevate any look, and I’m also really into booty shorts,” she says. As for the boys, Magnus Ronning, who runs his own brand Ronning (and has a fan base of 162k) thinks that “summer is about sex. I love showing more skin now it’s warmer. A slightly more fitted top, with some flowy trousers breaks up an outfit and emphasizes your body”. Model and DJ double act The Flag Twins adds: “Go big or go home, and summer is a time for statement – light textures like cotton, silk, lace. This season is also Burberry’s summer. If you see us in our Burberry shirts, it’s pub time.”
The fashionable 5k run
You can be sure the fashion pack raised eyebrows when Labrum’s invitation arrived. “We’re excited to invite you to a chilled community 5k run from London Fashion Week,” it read, to mixed reviews. Founder and designer Foday Dumbuya explains: “I set it up in Sierra Leone because there is a younger population that wants to exercise. The idea is to bring people together to run, rest, relax and make new friends.” He continues: “I’m going to show the crowd of 100 or so around the city. My favorite places to go when I run, and the places I’ve drawn inspiration from.” These places include the Tate, the Millennium Bridge… is this really tempting? The run starts at 9am on Saturday from Soho (see @labrumlondon for more details).
The new Savile Row rules
It’s a Savile Row open house! Men’s suitors should be keen to get down to the core of what they need to immerse themselves in the well-tailored world of Gieves & Hawkes, Richard James and The London Academy of Bespoke. The Row’s first bespoke streetwear tailor, Clothsurgeon, loved by Riz Ahmed and A$AP Rocky, is a must-visit. Founder Rav Matharu says: “On Saturday we will be holding an event at our store called Clothsurgeon Bespoke: A Contemporary Lions where we will take attendees through our unique approach to men’s tailoring. Our aim is to merge the two worlds of British tailoring and street culture. Savile Row is a British institution to be celebrated for its craftsmanship and heritage.”
londonfashionweek.co.uk
