London Fashion Week, the industry’s greatest draft, opens Friday

London Fashion Week, which opens Friday morning promises to be a bumper season, with a slew of new talents; heavy hitter shows; endless fashion fetes and afternoon tea in Downing Street for a select few.
 

Though the city has few of the powerhouse brands to match Milan or Paris, when it comes to raw talent, no city is more important than the UK capital.
 
The four-day season kicks off officially on Friday morning with Irish veteran Paul Costelloe, and climaxes Tuesday evening with the third catwalk display for Burberry by its creative director Daniel Lee. Though shows and presentations sprawl over both ends of the season, staged effectively over six days.

There are also significant college graduation shows all weekend – from the London College of Fashion joint presentations to Central Saint Martins masters show, both on Friday night. All the way to Fashion East. Invented by legendary fashion expert Lulu Kennedy, Fashion East is without question the most important launchpad for fledgling designers anywhere.
 
The season will also welcome back with a runway show, the house of Dunhill. One of the UK’s most venerable brands, Dunhill will unveil its show in one of London’s most venerable locations – the National Portrait Gallery.
 
Fresh from conquering Paris with her stellar interpretation of Jean-Paul Gaultier – in the latest team-up with a directional designer with Jean-Paul’s couture atelier – Simone Rocha will be a key attraction at LFW. The Hong Kong Irish creator and couturier, as is her wont, will again hold her catwalk display inside a church. This season it is the turn of St Bartholomew the Great, a 12th century church with Norman elements that is said to have miraculous healing powers.
 

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Immediately after Rocha comes Richard Quinn, part of a busy week for the designer. Four days later in Milan, Quinn will fete his debut collaboration with Max & Co with a presentation, and then dinner on Terrazza Martini, overlooking the Duomo.
 
The season also boasts a good half dozen must-see shows by the likes of J W Anderson, Erdem, Roksanda, Molly Godard, David Koma and Edward Crutchley.
 
All told, there are almost 60 catwalk shows listed on the official schedule, along with almost as many presentations and over a score of digital displays. Often featured as part of DiscoveryLAB, an immersive digital showcase unique to the UK which features emerging talent like Rhyzem, Savvas Alexander, KYLE Ho, Nyland Studio and Amber W. Smith among others.
 
In a very real sense, fashion is the reverse image of football when it comes to the rapport between Britain and France. Where in football, the richest league in the world – the Premiership – sources scores of young players emerging from the tough suburbs of Paris, Marseilles and Lyon. In fashion, the great houses of Milan and above all Paris scout London Fashion Week meticulously in search of fresh design talent. Akin, in part, to the annual draft in American sports, where the individuals with the most flair are spotted and signed. Same in fashion, as European brands appear with tempting offers – from night jobs and partnerships to collabs’ and creative directorships.
 
That’s been true since John Galliano and Alexander McQueen first went to Paris to helm Dior and Givenchy some three decades ago.
 
And, so far, even if Brexit has seriously hamstrung UK fashion by turning simple deliveries to Europe into expensive and time-consuming exports, the decision to wave goodbye to Europe, has not prevented UK fashion schools as still being the best regarded on the planet. So far.