The British Fashion Council will help support and promote British designers selling pre collections in London this June.
Pre collections have gathered momentum and play a vital role in the growth of fashion businesses with the selling period often lasting several weeks.
The BFC will leverage interest from guests attending London Collections Men (12-15 June) in addition to driving womenswear buyers and press by throwing the spotlight on initiatives supporting pre collection activity from the 15-17 June.
Caroline Rush, Chief Executive British Fashion Council said: “The designer fashion sector has responded to the demand for collections that fall outside the traditional spring/summer and autumn/winter period with collections that in some cases now account for up to 70% of sales for some fashion brands. It’s important that we celebrate the designers that are selling pre collections in London and make it a date in the diary for press and buyers from all over the world.”
Chair of the BFC Press Committee and Editor-in-Chief of 10 Magazine, Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou has been spearheading the activity in her BFC role, added: “This is something that I have felt strongly and passionately about addressing within the fashion calendar. These collections often represent possibly the most commercially successful section of a designer’s collection. I really feel that trying to find a way to help showcase this effectively is the future of our fashion landscape, a new chapter of understanding how to build a commercially successful brand without compromising everything London fashion stands for: innovation and creativity uncompromised.”
Over the 15-16 June, in a collaboration with The Hoxton, the BFC will launch The Hoxton Collective, a brand new showroom in The Apartment at The Hoxton, Holborn. The showroom will feature a curated group of collections from ready-to-wear designers including Alexander Lewis, Huishan Zhang, Marques’Almeida, Phoebe English and Zoë Jordan. The Hoxton, who run Hoxtown (www.hoxtown.com), a series of events monthly at their hotels supporting local emerging talent, are excited to be joining forces with the BFC to help assist these young, British designers.
Sharan Pasricha, CEO of The Hoxton said "We are thrilled to be part of this new project assisting such a great collection of local designers. The Hoxton feels strongly about showcasing the good and great of the neighbourhoods it lives in and has always done things a little different, this is an amazing opportunity to really make a difference to the behaviour of buyers whilst also raising awareness of some great brands."
Over the 16-17 June designers including Alexander Lewis, Amanda Wakeley, Bora Aksu, Isa Arfen, Issa, Jonathan Saunders, OSMAN, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Peter Pilotto, Roksanda, Roland Mouret and Rupert Sanderson will host showrooms, presentations and salon shows in what is to become a focal period for pre collections making it easier for buyers to do business in the capital.
A map of Pre Collection activity will include all designers showing or selling their pre collections during this period, from multi brand showrooms to own brand showrooms. British designers showing pre collections across May and June include Anya Hindmarch, Burberry and House of Holland.
London pre collections dates and details are listed on the BFC website britishfashioncouncil.com/londonpre
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For press enquiries please contact:
Sophie McElligott, British Fashion Council, +44 (0) 20 7759 1986
sophie.mcelligott@britishfashioncouncil.com