Today, the British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that London Fashion Week will be the first of the four global fashion weeks to open its doors to the public.

Starting from September 2019, London Fashion Week will offer dedicated experiences for both a trade and public audience through one dynamic schedule, further blurring the lines of what was traditionally known as a global trade platform.  

London Fashion Week attracts an audience of press, buyers and industry professionals from over 50 countries who come to London to explore and discover the best creative talent; from emerging designers to heritage labels and internationally recognised fashion houses. In response to the ever-changing fashion landscape and the growing public interest towards London Fashion Week, the BFC is launching a new Fashion Week format to increase engagement and reach new audiences for designer businesses.

The London Fashion Week schedule will now facilitate two audiences. The trade audience will attend on schedule catwalk shows and presentations routinely across the 5 days of London Fashion Week from 13th – 17th September 2019. The public audience will be able to purchase a ticket to an immersive London Fashion Week experience that will include a selection of designers that will showcase 6 ticketed catwalk shows which will take place at the official London Fashion Week Hub, on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September 2019; creative installations, industry-led talk panels from experts offering unparalleled insights to the fashion industry, the DiscoveryLAB, an experiential space where fashion meets art, technology and music and a brand new Designer Exhibition, where the creative work of progressive designers explores the most compelling stories around sustainability, community and ethics.

As part of the new London Fashion Week proposition, the Designer Exhibition will relaunch and will fully embrace #PositiveFashion, the BFC’s initiative designed to celebrate industry best practice and encourage future business decisions to create positive change. The Designer Exhibition will be open to both the trade and public audience and will be the place where guests discover new creative brands and progressive designers, explore compelling stories and learn about how the fashion industry can be used as a force for change.

#PositiveFashion is led by three pillars: Sustainability, Equality & Diversity, Craftsmanship & Community and London Fashion Week is inviting designers to tell their story, showcase how products are made and bring their brands and stories to life for a trade and public audience alike.

The celebration of London Fashion Week does not live solely within the hub. It will extend to a city-wide celebration of activations and events that will be curated by the BFC in partnership with key retailers, cultural institutions, brands and partners to engage communities throughout the capital to get involved and capitalise on the success of this global event to reach new audiences. The aim being to inspire young people and make #LFW a cultural city-wide celebration that will introduce fashion to a wider pool of people who may not have previously engaged with it or understand the incredible careers and opportunities that the industry holds.

New this season, the British Fashion Council will host the London Fashion Week schedule within the LetsBab app, allowing attendees to receive up to the minute schedule updates and show start times through notifications on the go.

To be part of the new London Fashion Week format and buy tickets click here.