London – A hotly anticipated party thrown by
high-street retailer H&M and pop star Charli XCX is set to shake things up as
London Fashion Week opens on Thursday alongside two shows focused on
sustainability.
The LFW Spring Summer 2025 schedule, which runs until Tuesday, had been set
for weeks when the Swedish fast-fashion giant burst onto the scene announcing
a collaboration with the British singer, overshadowing big-name designers.
“Forget the luxury shows… The only ticket anyone cares about is one to
the H&M party,” London’s The Standard newspaper said.
The Times daily labelled the event the “hottest London Fashion Week
ticket”.
The past few months have been termed “brat girl summer” following the
explosive popularity of Charli XCX’s latest hyper-pop album “Brat”,
namechecked everywhere from social media to politics — and now fashion.
The trend emphasizes an aesthetic and lifestyle inspired by Charli’s club
album that offers a heavy dose of party-girl energy with undertones of
youthful anxiety.
The collaboration is “exciting”, said Caroline Rush, chief executive of the
British Fashion Council (BFC).
The BFC is celebrating London Fashion Week’s 40th anniversary and vying to
remain relevant to younger audiences after an exodus of designers over the
past two decades.
Over the next week, 72 designers will present collections with LFW
mainstays such as JW Anderson, Erdem, Paul Costelloe and Burberry as well as
emerging designers.
It also includes shows at BFC’s NEWGEN space, which supports up-and-coming
creatives.
However some designers like cult favourite Dilara Findikoglu have been
absent from successive fashion weeks due to funding constraints.
“I think it is a challenging time for the industry, for the small
independents,” said the BFC’s Rush, citing the pandemic and challenges posed
by shipping fees post-Brexit.
‘Pre-loved’
There will also be a spotlight on sustainability in the fashion industry,
which is one of the world’s biggest polluters.
A report by non-profit group Collective Fashion Justice released ahead of
fashion week said less than four percent of BFC members have published
emission reduction targets.
Brands like H&M, Shein and Zara have in recent years come under fire for
their fast-fashion practices — cheaply mass-producing clothes to keep up with
fast-changing trends, often at the cost of environmental and labour
protections.
In the build-up to H&M’s LFW event — an attempt to present itself as a
more upmarket brand — the retailer removed all of its previous posts on
Instagram before sharing a picture of Charli XCX in a leopard-print coat from
its new collection.
One social media user commented on the post comparing the marketing
strategy to fast fashion: “get rid of everything you had to buy the new
collection”.
H&M says it uses recycled materials among other initiatives to reduce its
impact on the climate.
In a twist of fate, H&M will be joined on the opening night with two
“pre-loved” runways which aim to encourage slow and cyclical fashion.
Charity Oxfam and second-hand online marketplace Vinted have partnered for
a show which will showcase handed-down and recycled clothes.
Online auction platform eBay will also put on its first-ever LFW “Endless
Runway” catwalk with pre-loved, high-fashion clothes that will be sold on the
second-hand website’s live shopping platform at the same time as the show.(AFP)
