Fashion
A Rundown Of London Fashion Week 2020
Published
London Fashion Week 2020 is back! Consisting of a mixture of live and virtual shows, this year’s designers did not disappoint. We’re here to give you a rundown of our favourite designers and their remarkable new collections.
Prophetik x Thomas Goode & Co
Opening night of London Fashion Week 2020 saw Jeff Garner’s new Prophetik collection “Down The Rabbit Hole” presented by Thomas Goode & Co. Beginning 18 years ago, Prophetik has evolved from major catwalks to red carpets. This sustainable brand created a mission of providing a solution to the use of harmful synthetic dyes and fabrics with plant based textiles and dyes. “Down The Rabbit Hole” represents a fantasy world, seeking to discover without a path. Garner uses a variety of mismatched natural fabrics from across the world and plant dyed tones to this ultimate English Bohemian couture art collection.
Dark Pink
Rebranding for Fall Winter 2020, Dark Pink aims to provide solutions to every contemporary woman’s wardrobe dilemmas by creating statement pieces that can be thrown on with any footwear: from heels to trainers to military boots. The FW20 collection, showcased at FOLIE London, pays homage to #everywoman. Featuring abstract prints and rich tones, these pieces are bold yet understated, perfect for taking you from day to night. The striking factor of this collection is the unique necklines and cut-outs, mixing sophisticated with rebellion.
Osman Yousefzada
Held at the Mandrake Hotel, Osman Yousefzada showcased ‘Here to Stay’ SS21. After a season’s hiatus, Osman is back with his first capsule collection under his own name, Osman Yousefzada. Comprised of 50 pieces, this collection focuses on draping and tailoring to take you from day to evening. From poplin shirt dresses and double-breasted jackets to jersey dresses and 90s inspired oversized jackets, this luxurious collection really is Here to Stay.
‘Here to Stay’ was the chant that my uncle and elder cousins used in the 80s to fight racism on the streets: against police brutality; against the racism of state institutions in housing and immigration; against the pay gap; and for equal access to education. The chant still feels relevant today, at a time when BLM activism has given a voice to marginalised communities.
Osman Yousefzada
APUJAN
With the accelerated digitalised pandemic, APUJAN launched his first ever virtual show during London Fashion Week. ‘Gaze Into The Flowers In The Mirror’ SS21 echoes the Chinese idiom “Flower seen in the mirror, moon reflected on the water’s surface”, representing the virtual images of the collection – which can be seen but not touched. Drawing inspiration from science fiction and the blur between the virtual and the real, these designs combine details of traditional oriental garments and the silhouette of sci-fi. The collection features pure silk knitwear, jacquard coats, formal gowns and chiffon printed dresses.
Hanacha Studio
International womenswear label, Hanacha Studio SS21 collection fuses art with fashion. Combining contrasts of simplicity with complexity, this archive collection highlights the quintessential identity of the brand’s previous collections. Hanacha Studio approaches the concept of ‘Art inspired fashion, Fashion becomes art’, with unique patterns, block colours and simplistic silhouettes.
April & Alex
Driven by a mission to create contemporary womenswear, emphasising boldness and shining a light on the empowerment of women; UK based womenswear brand April & Alex presented its SS21 ‘Audax’ collection. ‘Audax’ meaning “Bold” in Latin, is inspired by the woman who pushes beyond limits, whilst not being afraid of being unconventional. The collection featured off-the-shoulder silhouettes, exaggerated sleeves and ruffled detailing.
My Wardrobe HQ X Harvey Nichols
Embracing the future of shopping, Harvey Nichols has set up a pop-up with rental and resale platform, My Wardrobe HQ. In store between 20th September – 18th November 2020, the pop-up will include a selection of current and previous designer womenswear pieces to rent. With the aim of encouraging Harvey Nichols shoppers to discover a new and more sustainable way of shopping, with the mantra ‘Buy Better, Buy Less’.
Creative DNA Presents Nairobi X London
Creative DNA is a British Council programme funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office, supporting Kenyan fashion businesses to develop skills, knowledge and networks across Kenya and the UK. London Fashion Week saw a series of conversations discussing the future of Fashion Weeks, sustainability and continuing working during uncertain times. The Creative DNA cohort for 2020 includes 11 up and coming Kenyan brands.
Fashion & Design Chamber of Armenia X Fashion Scout
London Fashion Week 2020 saw the collaboration of Fashion & Design Chamber of Armenia with Fashion Scout; to showcase 13 Armenian designers at this year’s Fashion Scout’s Digital Fashion Week, as a part of the “Supporting SMEs and Creating Sustainable Ecosystem for Armenian Textile Industry” project. Focusing on the creativity from Armenia, the 13 passionate designers showcased their collections, some of whom had their first international debut.
