London Fashion Week announces February 2021 dates, opening to all genders

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has today announced the next edition of London Fashion Week will take place from 19-23 February 2021 – with menswear designers also being encouraged to take part.

It will run as a digital first event with “scaled back physical activities” as the BFC stays in constant communication with the government over guidelines and restrictions.

The decision to move the traditional menswear showcase from January to February in 2021 was made in light of the current environment surrounding COVID-19, and the challenges around the movement of goods, samples and people in the single market and customs union post-Brexit.

The move follows surveys and roundtables with designers, as well as conversations with sales showrooms regarding selling periods.

The BFC is committed to supporting British menswear designer businesses to show and sell their collections and will work with them on finding the best solutions to enable them to share sales materials with international buyers ahead of the February shows.

The organisation will work on a sales focused campaign aimed at the industry through January 2021, using the London Fashion Week platform to drive reach to the designers’ online showrooms and physical sales contacts.

BFC Menswear Chair and GQ Editor-in-Chief, Dylan Jones, said: “When we launched London Collections: Men in June 2012, which then became London Fashion Week Men’s, we were responding to an industry need and to the necessity to have a platform for our brilliant British menswear designers from emerging talent to Savile Row tailoring.  

“A lot has changed since then, and this year’s pandemic made us all rethink the current system in place. We are confident that this move will help designers reach more people via the digital LFW platform, while still allowing them to do business as early as January without the deadline of a show.”

Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive, commented: “As the fashion industry moves towards a more sustainable and responsible future in line with the newly formed Institute of Positive Fashion, our aim is to continue to redefine our fashion week model, embracing digital and technological innovation while offering ideas and solutions that will work for all designer businesses.

“Moving LFWM into LFW in February will continue to de-gender LFW, allow designers greater flexibility to consider what collection they show when and minimise travel requirements, taking us one step closer to a more sustainable future.”

The LFW digital platform is a year-round platform and is constantly updated for retailers, media and consumers to view and buy collections. The platform will continue to serve as the Official Digital Hub and will be freely accessible to everyone, industry professionals and global fashion consumers alike, enabling collaboration and bringing together fashion, culture and technology.

As the British Fashion Council and London Fashion Week continue to look at the future and the opportunity to change, collaborate and innovate, all of London’s Fashion Weeks will be open to all genders and seasons which, following February in 2021, will be June 11-14 and September 17-21.

London Fashion Week January 2022 will be reviewed next year.