LONDON FASHION WEEK PRESENTED BY 1664 BLANC STARTS THIS WEEK

The British Fashion Council (BFC) is delighted to launch London Fashion Week presented by 1664 Blanc (LFW) taking place from Thursday 12^th to Tuesday 17^th September. The BFC are excited to continue their work with Principal Partner 1664 Blanc who have been a great collaborator in the BFC’s commitment to support emerging design talent and increase the reach of LFW by opening it up further to consumers throughout the year. September will culminate the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of LFW (LFW40), with the BFC hosting various activations and events, celebrating the creative community and telling the story and impact of LFW globally.

LFW40 CELEBRATIONS AND 180 THE STRAND HIGHLIGHTS

The LFW40 celebrations and 180 The Strand highlights include:

• LFW40 Retrospective and 1664 Blanc ‘Le Journal Bleu’ Commemorative newspaper - This season, 180 The Strand will house a LFW40 retrospective curated by Sarah Mower MBE, Chief Critic at Vogue Runway and the BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent, and Robin Derrick, Creative Director taking visitors on a journey from the event's inception at Olympia to present day. The BFC are also teaming up with 1664 Blanc to produce Le Journal Bleu, a limited edition free takeaway commemorative newspaper, in honour of LFW’s 40^th anniversary, it will include designer interviews, most memorable shows, looks, faces and much more.
• LFW40 Bookstore - The BFC will host a LFW40 bookstore at 180 The Strand venue, showcasing over 150 rare and unique books focused on fashion, culture and creativity, showcasing the impact of the creative industries over the last few decades and highlighting the resilience of the fashion industry and its ability to adapt to ever-changing political landscapes. This has been curated by Reference Point & Record28.
• alo OASIS at 180 The Strand - As the Official Wellness Partner of LFW, alo invites LFW attendees to visit the alo OASIS, a wellness hub at 180 Health Club to refresh, recover, and recharge with daily yoga classes, cryo therapy, wellness activations as well as guided soundbaths and meditations.
• TONI&GUY at 180 The Strand - As the Official Hair Care Partner of London Fashion Week TONI&GUY will host a salon station, offering LFW attendees touch-ups, styling advice and hair care tips.
• LFW40 10 Downing Street Event - As part of the LFW40 celebrations, the Prime Minister will host the BFC and their guests at a 10 Downing Street reception to celebrate and promote the British fashion industry alongside senior sector leaders, government ministers, and the BFC network members. This will provide an invaluable opportunity to introduce the sector's priorities to the new government and maximise the potential momentum that a change in government offers the industry.
• LFW40 Icons Party - The BFC will close the week and the LFW40 celebrations with what London does best – an epic party. In collaboration with Burberry, who have curated the music for the night and with partners 1664 Blanc and Hunter, the BFC are hosting a spectacular LFW40 Icons Party, to celebrate the designers and industry titans who have influenced and played a key role in establishing LFW as a world-class event over the last 40 years. Expect key faces from past, present and future, lots of designer faces and iconic archival looks brought back especially for one night only.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

• The schedule boasts 72 schedule designers, 48 catwalk shows, 17 presentations, 63 events and 17 digital activations which are available on the official Digital Hub, londonfashionweek.co.uk
• S.DALEY and On x FKA twigs have joined the schedule.
• LABRUM London is on schedule with an updated time slot, now showing on Monday 16th September at 14:30.
• BFC NEWGEN designers making their catwalk debut this season are Charlie Constantinou, Johanna Parv, Karoline Vitto, LUEDER, Pauline Dujancourt and YAKU.
• This season, Hu Bing celebrates his 10th anniversary as the BFC LFW Ambassador for China and launches Hu Bing Selects, a new initiative that provides a platform for Chinese design talent on a global stage and supports the BFC to build closer ties with the Chinese fashion industry. This season, Chinese designer, CONSISTENCE will present their collection at the BFC NEWGEN space as part of Hu Bing Selects presented by Botao in partnership with OPPO.
• This season, we have 5 designers activating as part of the DiscoveryLAB which was established in 2018 to support very emerging designers who do not yet meet the main schedule criteria to showcase their collections as part of LFW. Confirmed designers include FRANCESCA LAKE, Kinks Lab, Nicole Zisman, Nina Doroushi and

LFW CITY WIDE CELEBRATION PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

In celebration of LFW40, there will be an expanded version of City Wide Celebration (CWC) with the programme of events extending to Manchester and Newcastle for the first time. CWC is a programme of over 1,000 unique experiences and activities open to the public from over 350 brands throughout September taking place in London, Manchester and Newcastle. Curated by the BFC, CWC celebrates the very best of British city culture and  aims to support and promote retail across the UK while driving the fashion conversation forward through industry wide participation and partnerships. Explore the programme here.

• 1664 Blanc - is taking over London’s Covent Garden Piazza with their ‘EXPLORATIONS IN BLUE’ as part of CWC. Guests can grab a limited edition print available from BFC NEWGEN designer Tolu Coker and enjoy 1664 Blanc with a professional photographer there to capture shots for everyone.
• 0181 Studios x DJ Workshops - Founded by KISS FM's Dixon Brothers, 0181 Studios is a dynamic new creative hub located within the Throwley Yard Cinema complex. Designed for DJs, musicians, content creators, and designers, 0181 Studios provides a space for creatives to connect, create, and collaborate.
• Raeburn - Curated by visual storyteller Harris Elliott, the exhibition RÆBURN 15 | RETROSPECTIVE charts the breadth of a designer brand that began as a radical experiment 15 years ago that went on to impact the fashion industry as a whole.
• LONDON CREATES MUSIC x LFW - Join City Hall, Music Venue Trust, Museum of Youth Culture, DICE and Rough Trade to celebrate the energising and enduring relationship between grassroots fashion and music in London with a curated, low-cost selection of grassroot gigs across the capital.
• LONDON MURAL FESTIVAL: Paint the City! - London Mural Festival returns to the capital’s streets this September with over 100 murals to explore from some of the world's best street artists. From Brixton to Walthamstow, murals will be popping up all over the city! Visit com to find out more.

The generosity and commitment of our partners, suppliers and supporters is more vital than ever. Please help us by acknowledging their support for LFW September 2024 alongside our Principal Partner: 1664 Blanc and Official Partners: alo, Diet Coke, Hunter, JD.com, ORA, Pandora, The Londoner, TONI&GUY, Royal Salute and Yoseido. Official Suppliers: FORA and Ocean Outdoor. Official Supporters: The Department for Business and Trade and the GREAT Campaign.