Back to live shows

THE British Fashion Council (BFC) announced in early September the return of live runway shows at London Fashion Week (LFW) from September 17 to 22 with more than 80 designers, after showing online due to the pandemic.

Seven shows take place in front of a smaller live audience, 21 will be a mix of physical and digital, and the 50 remaining shown online.

The September shows are traditionally for womenswear but this year the BFC said it would be a “gender-neutral showcase” featuring men’s, women’s and mixed collections.

“LFW is one of the few international events to still be going ahead in London, proving the industry’s resilience, creativity and innovation in difficult times,” the BFC said.

The body said coronavirus restrictions provided an opportunity to reassess formula and innovate to maintain the industry’s influence, particularly in terms of employment.

In 2019, the sector contributed £35bil (Rm192bil) to the British economy – up 9.4% on 2018 – and employed more than 890,000 people.

In June, the company was given a £573,000 (Rm3.1mil) government contract to make medical gowns and protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers battling Covid-19.