Each year, the upper echelons of the fashion industry descend upon Paris, London, New York and Milan for Fashion Week. They get a peek at next season’s digs and score their photo opp and our Instagram feeds become a constant stream of “candid” street style shots and front row madness with Anna Wintour as the centerpiece.
While it’s inspiring to watch incredibly talented and creative designers send their hard work down the runway for the world to see, it’s a shame that the shows are often reserved exclusively for this month’s hottest it girls and boys.
London Fashion Week have remedied the fatigue by flipping the script and allowing any Tom, Dick or Harry to attend the prestigious shows this year. Starting in September, the general public will be able to purchase attendance tickets and yes, that also includes seats in the front row (or ‘FRow’ as I once heard someone painfully refer to it as).
According to The British Fashion Council (BFC), it’s all about “blurring the lines of what was traditionally known as a global trade platform,” by giving the public the ability to purchase tickets to an “immersive” fashion week experience. Which, in other words, sounds like us mere mortals will get a little taste of the action.
It’s all part of the BFC’s #PositiveFashion initiative, lead by sustainability, equality and diversity, craftsmanship and community. “The aim being to inspire young people and make [London Fashion Week] 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 the industry holds.”
If it means the fashion reaches new audiences and the week is as accessible to Anna Wintour as it is to a fashion student who might get sat next to the Queen, then it’s a win for everyone involved.
