‘I decided to do a show as we all need to dream’
Christopher Kane
“I grew up watching the channel Fashion TV — so for me the runway has always been the pinnacle of everything we do. But actually physically not being able to have that moment has been a release. Without the pressures of a traditional show we’ve had time to rethink the way we do things.”
Anya Hindmarch
“The pandemic certainly hasn’t all been doom and gloom. Fashion is all about responding, so it’s amazing how you do adapt. Importantly, people are stepping up and realising it’s a critical moment for the environment. It’s about circularity of materials, trying to eliminate waste, looking at dead stock, how you can build zero waste into your supply chain. Fashion is a great barometer of mood and a great innovator, so I think it’ll be interesting to see what happens. I don’t think this year’s London Fashion Week will actually be so weird at all.”
Rejina Pyo
“At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a strong feeling across the industry that we could use this time as an opportunity to slow down and do things differently. It didn’t feel right to me to stage a fashion show in the midst of such a difficult time for so many people. Instead we will share our new SS21 collection on our own social platforms when we feel it’s right.”
Eudon Choi
“It has been a rollercoaster few months, and our priority has been to keep the business going. I was eager to return to London Fashion Week as creating content and telling stories is more important now than ever. It’s just so important to drive the business forward and have an outlet to express our creativity and partnerships built over this time.”
Orlagh McCloskey
RIXO co-founder
“With our physical presentations being such a huge part of RIXO, it’s obviously sad but it has just forced us to be even more creative. There are always going to be challenges with a digital presentation and for us it’s the pressure to ensure the detail and design is captured correctly. Getting all the features and prints across perfectly is important. The reach is an added pressure as we’ve always had such a loyal and welcoming reaction and attendance at our shows. We want this year’s LFW to virtually entertain, inspire and bring joy to as many people as possible!”
Bora Aksu
“I decided to do a show as I believe that we all need to carry on dreaming. I feel as a designer and creative we need to be the light in this ever-changing dark tunnel. We have a duty to reflect on these times but also encourage, bring hope and imagination. Adapting to changes in such a short time span has been challenging. All of our stores have been affected and are only slowly getting back in the last month. The BFC have been very supportive… from gathering the fashion community under one umbrella and updating designers through zoom meetings and creating a financial support system for many designers in difficult situations.”