London Fashion Week returns with big names hitting catwalk

LONDON – The style spotlight will be focused on the British capital as London Fashion Week begins, with a dizzying series of shows planned for the coming days.

The focus will be on British style and creativity but will include many contributors from other parts of the world.

Friday’s lineup will include Paul Costelloe, Aquascutum, Bora Aksu and other standouts.

On following days there will be shows by Burberry, Julien Macdonald, Christopher Kane, Mulberry, Roksanda and many others. Some fashion houses are focusing on making new items available immediately to online buyers to streamline the shopping process.

The fashion crowd has already been feted by Prime Minister Theresa May at a Downing Street reception and partied at a lavish Perrier-Jouet champagne party that featured model Naomi Campbell, wearing a plunging black dress, serving a brief stint as a surprise DJ.

She was joined by model Erin O’Connor and other Fashion Week veterans at the event.

At the Downing Street reception, May — whose fondness for stylish shoes is well known — said Britain’s fashion industry is “of huge importance to our country” and contributed some 28 billion pounds ($37 billion) to the economy each year.

This is the first London Fashion Week held since Britain voted in June to leave the European Union. Luxury designer Anya Hindmarch told BBC Friday that most of the fashion industry was opposed to Brexit but that most designers are determined to find ways to make it work.