Fashion takes a fresh start in London

London Fashion Week (LFW) opened on Thursday under new leadership, with the hope of marking the beginning of a new era for British fashion. After 16 years at the helm, Caroline Rush stepped aside earlier this year, leaving Laura Weir, former creative director of Selfridges and Vogue journalist, with the task of reviving an event long considered the boldest of the four global fashion weeks.

The timing could not be more critical. In recent years, many marquee names have drifted towards the more lucrative and star-packed schedules of Milan, Paris and New York, leaving London struggling with relevance. Rising costs have further squeezed young designers, once the lifeblood of its avant-garde reputation.

"This season marks the beginning of a new era for British fashion," Weir told AFP ahead of the opening. "My main objective is to ensure London Fashion Week remains the ultimate platform to showcase and celebrate the very best of British creativity while continuing to support designers who have built the foundations of British fashion and forged paths internationally."

That support has already taken shape. Weir has scrapped membership fees to ease the financial burden on struggling labels, secured a three-year funding commitment for the NewGen programme for emerging designers, and doubled investment in the BFC's international guest programme to lure heavyweight buyers and global media back to London.

The shift is needed. This June's menswear edition was scrapped altogether, replaced by a modest commercial showroom in Paris. February's programme, meanwhile, was thinned by several notable absences, as some designers opted to stage just one annual show to cut costs.

Despite its challenges, LFW still commands a reputation for spotting talent early. Names like Simone Rocha and Richard Quinn, who went on to earn global acclaim—including a royal seal of approval from the late Queen Elizabeth II—rose through its ranks. This season, the schedule kicked off with Maximilian Raynor, praised for his inventive use of fabric scraps and sustainable practices.

There are signs of a more compelling lineup ahead. JW Anderson returns, albeit with an intimate dinner rather than a runway show, as creative director Jonathan Anderson refocuses his label after stepping down from Loewe. Other familiar names include Paul Costelloe, Roksanda, Dilara Findikoglu and the ever-dependable Burberry.

Burberry faces its own test

If Weir is tasked with reviving the prestige of London Fashion Week, Burberry carries the weight of representing British luxury on a global scale. On Monday evening, the heritage label will close LFW with a show that analysts say could be pivotal for its turnaround efforts.

The company has been under new management since July last year, when American executive Joshua Schulman took over as CEO. Schulman wasted no time in reshaping the brand's direction. He criticised his predecessor's reliance on "niche aesthetics" and edgy pieces that, while high fashion, were often unrecognisable as Burberry. In their place, he has leaned heavily into heritage—trench coats, checks and tailoring—pushed with slick marketing campaigns that emphasise "Britishness" to a global audience.

To underscore the point, Burberry tapped Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman, known for portraying Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, and Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, a cultural icon of 1990s Britain, as campaign faces. The brand has even turned political appearances into free advertising: when Melania Trump stepped off Air Force One in London wearing a Burberry trench, it made headlines worldwide.

A test of resilience

The juxtaposition is telling. London Fashion Week and Burberry, though distinct, are bound by the same questions of identity, relevance and survival. LFW's strength has always been its ability to surprise with boundary-pushing young designers. Burberry, by contrast, has long traded on heritage and continuity. Both now face pressure to adapt—without losing what makes them unique.

For Weir, success will be measured in renewed international attention and a runway calendar that excites buyers as much as editors. For Burberry, it will be sales figures and the ability to convince the world that its trenches and checks still embody a timeless kind of Britishness.

What unites them is a sense of cautious optimism. From Maximilian Raynor's sustainable fabrics to Burberry's return to classic tailoring, the season suggests London is not finished yet. Whether through the experimentation of its young designers or the revival of its best-known fashion house, British fashion is once again trying to stitch together a compelling story.

And as the lights dim on Monday evening's Burberry show, it will be clear that the coming months are more than just about collections. They are about whether London can reclaim its place as a capital not only of creativity but of influence in the global fashion order.