London is undoubtedly the most happening English city to be in. The nightlife is second to none; there are restaurants for dinner early in the evening, striking pubs and bars for a quick drink before the main event, and clubs that will have you dancing till the break of dawn. If you’re more of a daytime person, the art and art walks in London are top-notch and a great way to get some cultural and creative stimulation into your life. There are museums, classes to take, people to meet, galleries and street art, and sometimes some exciting fashion to be seen.
London is the capital of cool in the UK, so it only follows that those who live there wear and love excellent style. There are several fashion events in London each year. Though one of the London fashion weeks has already passed us by, there are loads of fashion events all over the city to appeal to every kind of fashion sense. If you’re looking for a designer dress or a new pair of boots, these are the events to attend.
Experience of Fashion: Multiple Perspectives Roundtable, April 27th
Fashion has been the subject of many studies through the ages, and its various disciplines have evolved along the way. The perspectives that come along with these disciplines (marketing, branding, design, styling, consumer psychology, and the like) each form a fragment of the fashion industry. One needs to understand each of these perspectives and get the whole picture. A collection of experienced speakers come together at this round table event at the RHS Lecture Theater (London Fashion College) on April 27th to discuss each perspective and open up doorways to understanding all of them better. Speakers will includeRachel Sheila Kan, Stefan Mathys, Jonathan Chippendale, Alice Rose McAnulty and Joanna Czutkowna.
London Winter fashion weeks
Fashion Week happens a few times a year in London, as designers release their Spring/Summer collections and then, later in the year, their Autumn/ Winter collections. The fashion week events we have to look forward to this year will occur across the city on 10-12 June and 15-19 September. As is now customary, fashion week will offer a hybrid of digital and in-person events, showcasing the best English talent. From designer dresses to couture to sunglasses and shoes, it’s a fashion lover’s dream. Ensure you get tickets to all the open shows as far in advance as possible because they sell out quickly! Menswear and womenswear designers come together to celebrate modern fashion and offer up enough inspiration to last you for the next year.
West of Me Kilo Sale, recurring dates
Buying bags of vintage clothing a kilo at a time started in Holland and came over to the UK over the last decade or so. At the West of Me event, which happens at Hilda’s East Community Center in Shoreditch semi-regularly, you can find vintage clothing from the sixties up to the nineties. It’s a fantastic event to visit with vintage-loving friends who don’t mind spending the day up to their knees in bales of second-hand/ vintage garments looking for buried treasure. The rate was around 15 pounds per kilo in 2022, but the event was updated to include inflation. These events are released on the West of Me Sales Facebook group; all details can be found there if you’re interested in attending.
National Asian Wedding Show, November 26th
The largest Asian wedding show in the world is coming back to London once more in November at Hotel Novotel. This is the flagship event, and it is clear upon arrival why there is no other Asian wedding show to rival it. One hundred and fifty exhibitors come together from all over the UK to showcase Asian wedding trends that will have even the calmest brides sprinting the length of the room to claim dresses and accessories before anyone else can! Apart from the exhibitions, there will be catwalk shows twice over the course of the day. If you want to attend these, book tickets early as the seating is limited.
Introduction to Glove Making, May 14th
If you’re fascinated by gloves and would love nothing more than a deep dive into their history and craftsmanship, this event is your Nirvana. Introduction to Glove Making is part of the London Craft Week. Riina Oun will lead the workshop through this delicate art with a general introduction to the craft, a lesson on how to measure bespoke gloves, hand size, draw and cut leather patterns, and how to hand stitch gussets. Few seasoned professionals are left who hold the secrets of this craft that date as far back as the middle ages, so this opportunity to learn from Riina may not come again in a lifetime.
If you’re a fashion freak, everything from second-hand and vintage to bridal wear is available throughout the London fashion year.
