London Fashion Week Relocates

As of September, London’s Fashion Week will be changing locales. The bi-annual event, which sees hoards of fashionistas flooding the capital and taking up residence in the swanky Somerset House, will now see the bulk of the shows and presentations moved to a car park on Brewer Street in the city’s Soho area. The news follows the shake-up of New York Fashion Week, which also recently announced that it was moving from the Lincoln Centre to Skylight Clarkson Square and Skylight Moynihan Station.

“The long-term growth of the UK’s designer fashion market is reflected geographically in this move that will see London Fashion Week designers showcasing collections in one of London’s most vibrant, diverse and creative hubs set within a mile of Bond Street, Dover Street, Mount Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street,” explained Caroline Rush, CEO of the BFC, of the impending move. “The new and exciting venue has already been dubbed as Brewer Street’s ‘Fashion Park’ and will offer freedom and flexibility to designers who will be able to transform the show space to reflect their own aesthetics and identity,” she added.

The venue, which is a working car park as well as an iconic art deco building, is one that the British Fashion Council hope will increase the “footprint” of London Fashion Week across the capital, although many have been left pondering the logistics of the relocation, given the Soho area’s infamous narrow and winding streets. Still, many designers, such as Erdem, Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and Burberry have always typically presented their collections in off-site locations, so the switch up will certainly not come as a major inconvenience to most. “Brewer Street car park as the host venue is a brilliant development for London Fashion Week,” said Munira Mirza, deputy mayor for education and culture. “With its position in Soho, it is at the heart of an area that has long been associated with fashion and creativity in general. I am sure the move will literally drive even more interest in one of the most important sectors for our economy.”