From months’ long marketing campaigns to commitments to ending the use of fur in fashion, the impact of London Fashion Week reaches far beyond the runway. We are sharing the highlights and fashion trends that we saw at London Fashion Week 2018.
London Fashion Week 2018: Highlights
Victoria Beckham’s Debut
Although former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham’s eponymous fashion brand has been around for a decade, 2018 marked her debut at London Fashion Week. Beckham has participated in NYFW several times but has finally made an appearance at Fashion Week in her home country. The clean and chic S/S collection features sophisticated women’s wear in a predominately black, red, and cream color palette. The collection was well-received by critics, and we expect it to be popular once the pieces hit stores.
Fashion is for Mothers
The worlds of fashion and motherhood have collided on the runways this year. Model Slick Woods went into labor while walking in the Savage x Fenty show in New York recently. At London Fashion Week, model and new mom Valeria Garcia sported a wearable breast pump on the runway. She wore the sleek, smartphone-controlled pump underneath a black bra and trouser suit during the Marta Jakubowski fashion show. We love seeing fashion designers accommodating people’s lifestyles, rather than fashionistas having to adapt the way they live in order to wear the latest fashions.
Chubby Cloud Installation
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Fashion Weeks have gone beyond the runway into full experiential installations, like the “Chubby Cloud” installation by Anya Hindmarch. The installation played off of the cloud motif present in the brand’s newest fashion collection.
Located at Banqueting House in London from September 14th – September 16th, visitors will be able to climb on and sink into the world’s largest bean bag under the magnificent Rubens ceiling. This three-day event will also include a series of talks, meditations, music and bedtime stories that the public can book into, all taking place on the Chubby Cloud.
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The Instagram-friendly installation also included a Chubby Cafe, where guests could purchase a variety of cloud-inspired cakes, teas, and coffees. As if this wasn’t enough marketing for the collection, Valentine’s Day of this year the brand has placed oversized heart balloons all over London. Follow the #CHUBBYhearts hashtag to see each location.
London Fashion Week 2018: Fashion Trends
A Wet Look
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Perhaps the most-easily reproduced styling trend from the London Fashion Week 2018 runways, models in the Ashish show were doused with water before hitting the runway. While this might not be practical for day-to-day wear, the concept could translate into more dewy and tousled looks.
Fur-Free Fashion
London Fashion Week marked the first major Fashion Week to go fur-free. The British Fashion Council announced in September that the upcoming show would feature no real fur pieces.
The BFC survey results reflect a cultural change based on ideals and choices made by designer businesses, international brands as well as consumer sentiment but also encouraged by the stance of multi-brand stores who are moving away from selling fur.
This statement followed on the heels of London-based fashion house Burberry‘s decision to no longer use natural furs. We predict that more and more designers will make the commitment to stop using animals furs going forward.
Neon Brights
We continue to see bright, neon colors included in 2019 collections. LFW veteran designer Jasper Conrad’s collection featured saturated solid colors punctuated with graphic black and white pieces. House of Holland showed outrageously bright streetwear pieces. This is a trend that isn’t going anywhere!
So, what were your favorites from London Fashion Week 2018? Want more fashion ideas? Try our highlights from New York Fashion Week.
