London Fashion Week has often seen the impact of major external factors in recent years, such as Brexit and the global Covid-19 pandemic, but this season’s Spring/Summer 2023 shows once again set an extraordinary backdrop. was held under

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, much of her schedule was thrown into chaos, especially around her state funeral on September 19th. Shows and events scheduled for that day have been postponed or cancelled. Burberry, the owner of the Royal Warrant and one of his key British labels on the calendar, was the first brand to announce that it would not be hosting the show (then followed up with a rescheduled date). Did). Famed Belgian designer Raf Simons has also released a statement confirming that his show will not go ahead as planned, as he was also slated to make his long-awaited London debut with his eponymous brand.

Ahead of the first day, British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush said in a telephone interview with CNN that she “fully” understands why the brand is changing its plans.

Still, the industry has rapidly converged around many young emerging brands and designers where disruption is key.

“London has always been known as the global capital of creativity. It has more emerging independent businesses than any other fashion capital,” says Rush. “I think the sense of community that comes through these designers has evolved over the last few years, and we’ve seen it through this period of adversity since the death of the Queen.”

Harris Reed, who was just announced this week as the new creative director of French fashion house Nina Ricci, is one of those young designers who has defied these odds and found success. After graduating from Central Saint Her Martins during the global pandemic, Reid initially relied heavily on her social medium to generate interest in her designs. Harry Styles wore one of his pieces (the suit his jacket and hoop skirt suit) on the cover of American Vogue in December 2020, and Reed wore it at his 2021 Met Gala. I dressed up supermodel Iman.

On Sept. 12, he was one of the first designers to announce a show for his Spring/Summer 2023 collection, posting on Instagram the importance of “being there for the little brands in London this week.” posted about

In the run-up to the event, Reed’s Instagram story teased snippets of late-night catwalk prep, highlighting the often-glamorous and grim realities of putting on a show. Inside a decorated 16th-century church, Reed set the tone for London Fashion Week, with presentations that included a moving live performance by Adam Lambert and a collection that exudes elegance and sculptural artistry.

And despite the events coinciding with a time of national mourning, there was much to celebrate. Simone Rocha unveiled his first menswear her collection, and JW Anderson is back on the London schedule for the first time since his 2020. Two consecutive LVMH Prize winners, Nensi Dojaka and SS Daley, were also among the best emerging talent.

Turkish-British designer Dilara Findikoglu went viral at her silent catwalk show on Saturday. This included a selection of vampire, Victorian-inspired looks (some modeled by influencer and reality star Lisa Rinna’s daughter, Amelia Gray). . At Susan Fun, the models walked on water thanks to the floating runway in the indoor pool.

Read on for highlights from London Fashion Week.

a week of mourning

Designers who chose to pay tribute to the passing of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch did so in a variety of ways. Music (or lack thereof) has often become a form of tribute for small labels unable to alter much of their physical collection. Adam Lambert sang “Who Wants to Live Forever?” by Queen. For Reed’s show, Michael Halpern chose silence for the collection’s opening look, which is a tribute to the late Queen. Costume worn by the Queen when she attended an opera with former French President Rene Coty in 1957. A tribute tailored in a undulating cerulean cape draped over a turquoise gown and headscarf.

“We wanted to do something that was really respectful,” Halpern told CNN in his studio before the show. I just took a really beautiful, brief and unobtrusive walk with one girl in

“She was wearing this really beautiful blue gown, and that’s exactly the color[of the first look],” he added.

At the Dojaka show finale, the models each held a lily of the valley twig. It was a favorite flower of Queen Elizabeth II and was reportedly used in her coronation bouquet in 1953. According to show notes, it created a gray sweatshirt and skirt look that’s a nod to the monarch’s last official photo long before the pandemic.

But perhaps the most massive tribute comes courtesy of Richard Quinn. His career in fashion goes hand in hand with the monarch sitting front row at the Fall/Winter 2018 show after being awarded the Queen Elizabeth II British Design Award in 2018. Quinn quickly established himself as one of the country’s top talents, and in honor of his royal supporters, this season, he’s performing at a funeral procession in his 22 all-black outfits. have started. A wide-brimmed hat reminiscent of the style of a queen.

As the models walked, a melancholic video montage of the monarch as a young child and woman played on a suspended screen. A rotating glimpse of the Queen smiling outside of official duties at her wedding to Prince Philip. And of course, footage of Monday’s state funeral was flashed. According to show notes, the entire collection was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II.

female gaze

Rocha is a rebellious romanticist whose subversive and often gothic take on femininity has earned her many accolades, including the prestigious 2016 British Womenswear Designer Awards. She made her menswear debut this season with a gender-inclusive collection. In the fresco-covered halls of London’s Old Her Bailey Criminal Court, the Irish-British designer went masculine with tutus, bow-encrusted ballet flats and bow-encrusted backpacks. Added a new twist. A khaki trench Her coat is adorned with red and green crystals arranged in the shape of a poppy, contrasting with her chunky belt her chain (typical of her late emo fashion) and delicate frills. It was a target.

Another staple of the womenswear circuit, Molly Goddard has likewise extended her signature foamy frills to the male legion. Known for her creations of candy-coloured sheer tulle, Goddard launched her menswear line in 2020, tartan her checked suits and her fair isle knits, her conservative collection of cardigans. Expanded. On Saturday, she took her shirts, shirts, suits and jackets up a notch by trimming them with her trademark ruffles. She stepped further into her mens skirt movement, wearing a full-length pinstripe kilt.

Throughout the Spring/Summer 2023 schedule, the collection was bursting with feminine energy. Chinese designer Yuhan Wang, inspired by female pilots, has reimagined aviator uniforms and helmets in gorgeous prints and exquisite fabrics like silk and organza. For Halpern, the enduring appeal of his mother, who continued to host and dress accordingly for lavish house parties worthy of a New York City socialite, even after the family moved upstate, inspired his spring-summer designs. Shaped. Regina Pyo launched this season on the 28th floor of a London skyscraper, complete with office-ready tailoring, evening dresses and mules made for walking.

Brazilian designer Caroline Witt’s collection of cut-out minidresses and quirky eveningwear, staged by nonprofit talent incubator Fashion East, was described in show notes as “one of the most controversial and overlooked women’s It was a love letter to the figure. In partnership with casting agency AAMO, Vitto’s show featured only curvy and plus-size models in UK sizes 10 to 20 in hopes of setting an industry precedent.

luxury hardware

Buckles, straps and harnesses were inevitable this season. The peek-a-boo It-Girl party loved by Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa Poster Girl, the creator of her dress, has sent down the runway many looks featuring her three belts at once. Rocha recreates his belt with garters from his straps An oversized parachute that dangles under his dress Yuhan Wang creates a body with pink lace and calico utility his pouches His strap backpack Did.

Taking cues from science and human anatomy for Spring/Summer 2023, Kane created a multi-strap corset out of clear plastic and tiny metal buckles. The skeletal structure ’emphasizes the strength and importance of the abdominal and lateral muscles’.

Above: Harris Reed Spring/Summer 2023 at London Fashion Week.

The-CNN-Wire

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