“Downturn schmowturn” could have been the phrase of the week in London. For the most part, the shows looked and felt like one big stream of defiantly energized positivity. Showgoers seemed friendlier and more chatty. The gatekeepers at parties and clubs weren’t so anal and surly. And while some collections may have played it safe or missed the mark, many of the clothes were kind of wild, crazy and fun in that uniquely British way. The city’s shorter (only four days long) week had an electric, dare I say, celebratory vibe to it that made it all a great antidote to increasingly depressing financial headlines.
“I’ve had some really great nights out this week. People are really happy and high-spirited and it makes the fashion stronger,” says Markus Lupfer, the designer behind Armand Basi One, whose own collection had some defiantly upbeat undertones to his dark, ’80s-inspired collection.
Meanwhile, Osman Yousefzada jokes, “What recession?”
John Rocha, who has weathered several economic downturns says that he’s feeling more optimistic about the new Obama administration. But Lupfer attributes London Fashion Week’s strong collections to the fact that its designers already know how to wow on little funds. “London’s fashion market isn’t as ‘big business’ as it is in New York, Paris, or even Milan. We’ve always had less money. It’s nothing new to have no money and to find a way to do a collection without spending millions,” he adds.
House of Holland
Peter Pilotto
John Rocha
