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 International press and buyers
were back watching the catwalk presentations,
including displays from menswear designer and
choreographer Saul Nash and Turkish-born Bora
Aksu.
"It feels really great to be back," Caroline
Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion
Council (BFC), told Reuters. "We're excited to
see those key media and retailers that help
drive British business."
The line-up features 79 physical events -
including shows, appointments and presentations
- and 82 digital productions. Only a handful of
designers held in-person catwalk shows last
September.
At in-person events "we will be asking for proof
of vaccination, we will be encouraging everybody
to test every morning," Rush said.
"And if people haven't been vaccinated, then
testing every morning will be absolutely
mandatory as well. Backstage is much stricter
... and we will be encouraging people to wear
masks."
This season, the BFC has teamed up with
short-video platform TikTok to host its NEWGEN
programme aimed at up-and-coming designers.
Saul Nash dressed models in relaxed loungewear
including shiny or printed tracksuits and
matching polo tops and shorts.
Known for her feminine designs, Alice Temperley
took inspiration from Agatha Christie mystery
"Death on the Nile" for her spring/summer 2022
collection.
In a pre-recorded video, models wore floral,
leaf and zebra-print dresses, checked trouser
suits and safari-inspired denim jumpsuits. For
evening wear, there were green silky and black
sparkly gowns.
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 Bora Aksu turned to late
Amsterdam socialite Mathilde Willink, known for
her bold style, for his spring line of colourful,
ruffled dresses, flared trousers and knit
ensembles.
In an outdoor garden show, models wore silk
tulle and taffeta dresses in hot pink, green,
yellow, red and coral - some adorned in floral
embellishments. There were also pussy bow
collars, cropped jackets and trench coats,
accessorised with knotted headscarves.
"As we're stepping into this new world after a
lockdown ... I tried to inject this kind of
humour and encouragement, and just saying that
we don't actually need to limit ourselves with
fitting in a box, we can be free," Aksu told
Reuters.
The luxury goods industry has been hit hard by
the pandemic, with demand dwindling due to store
closures and travel restrictions.
The UK womenswear market was worth 26.5 billion
pounds ($36.49 billion) in 2020, down from 30.6
billion pounds the previous year, according to
market research firm Mintel.
London Fashion Week runs until Tuesday.
($1 = 0.7262 pound)
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; additional
reporting by Mindy Burrows and Ben Makori;
Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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