London Fashion Week , celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with all the frills, froth and fizz you might have expected, has come to a close after five days of far flung locations, A-list faces and plenty of new clothes. Anniversary proceedings began in February’s LFW, but since then the landscape — which was already brutal for many independent businesses, — has only deteriorated. MatchesFashion, the stockist and lifeline to many of London ’s best stars, went under, and pulling a show together for this spring/summer 2025 season was a tough ask for all.
Despite a handful of favourites that were missed (Molly Goddard, Conner Ives and Dilara Fındıkoğlu passed; David Koma dropped off the schedule nearing show day) the mood amongst the troops was one of resilience. “We won’t be overlooked or ignored in London,” Harris Reed said after his LFW opening show on Thursday. Those that followed him joined a rallying cry.
Adding to a feeling of hope, British Fashion Council chief executive Caroline Rush said that the Labour Government seem more committed to helping than the previous occupants of No 10. The BFC hosted a Downing Street party yesterday, where Rush promised to “introduce the sector’s priorities to the new Government”. It followed Sir Keir Starmer ’s wife, Victoria, making her front row debut at Edeline Lee earlier that day.
So, London continues to fight on — as it has done for four decades. Here is everything you might have missed: Sparkly jump.