LONDON – London Fashion Week is looming 4-0, and from Katharine Hamnett’s sex lessons to Richard Quinn’s Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth has certainly seen her fair share of drama, leading up to her surprise visit during her only fashion week appearance. Here, WWD takes a look at nine moments that have lit up London catwalks over the past four decades.
Falling and Rising: 16-year-old Naomi Campbell made global headlines when she tumbled down the runway in 9-inch platforms during Vivienne Westwood’s fall 1993 show “Anglomania.” The show paid tribute to Westwood’s English and Scottish heritage and featured body-hugging lace dresses and a long, red plaid dress skirt. John Galliano, Jean Paul Goude and Azzedine Alaïa watched from the front row. Campbell would of course go on to become world famous and befriend Westwood, walking in many of his shows in London and Paris (without further incident). Westwood would continue to fly the tartan flag, maintain his punk attitude, and infuse his passion for sustainability into future collections.
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Human vs Nature: The ultimate showman, Alexander McQueen, made his spring 1999 tour at the Gatliff Road depot, a former bus depot in Victoria, London. Shalom Harlow stood on a rotating turntable surrounded by two dancing robot arms that would spray-paint her white strapless dress with black and lime green paint. The collection was inspired by artist Rebecca Horn’s work “High Moon,” in which two shotguns are suspended in the air facing each other and blood flows on the ground. The show was memorable for other reasons, too. Paralympian Aimee Mullins made her catwalk debut wearing prosthetic legs carved from elm wood, sparking conversations about diversity and inclusion long before it was trendy.
Wood Works: Hüseyin Çağlayan’s fall 2000 collection “After Words” had a theatrical and philosophical bent, inspired by war refugees who were forced to leave their homes with only a few personal belongings. The stage was set up like a living room and featured models hiding household items in their coats and pockets or wearing sheaths as dresses. At one point a model stepped into the middle of the table and it magically transformed into a long layered skirt. “Technically, a lot of things could have gone wrong, but somehow they didn’t,” Chalayan told WWD in 2020. The designer was always experimenting: in 1993, he buried dresses in iron filings for his graduation collection at Central Saint Martins. let them sit there for months before being dug up and displayed on the podium.
Sexual education: Katharine Hamnett has always used fashion to further her own ends. In 1984, she attended a fashion industry event in Downing Street wearing a large white T-shirt that read “58 Percent Don’t Want Pershing.” The statement cited a poll showing that a majority of Britons opposed the deployment of American Pershing missiles in the country. According to Hamnett, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher screamed when she saw the T-shirt. Nearly 20 years later, during the spring 2004 collection and on the occasion of World AIDS Day, Hamnett returned to the soapbox. She dressed Naomi Campbell in a sheer black blouse covered in crystals that said “Use a condom.”
Big night: London Fashion Week was never a celebrity attraction, but that all changed one night in September 2006 when Giorgio Armani came to town and showed his Spring 2007 Emporio Armani collection at Earl’s Court in west London. It was a made-for-TV extravaganza that featured performances by Beyoncé, Bryan Ferry, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli and 50 Cent. This event was organized with the help of (Product) Red, a charity that raises awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in many African countries. The event created a long-lasting halo effect on London Fashion Week, becoming a must-see showcase in the world of seasonal fashion.
Secret Exit: The Central Saint Martins MA graduate show has long been a launching pad for some of the biggest names in the industry, but it often takes years for designers to gain notice. Burberry’s chief creative officer, Daniel Lee, who graduated from CSM in 2011, spent nearly a decade working behind the scenes, honing his skills as ready-to-wear director at Celine, and previously worked at Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan. He left his mark on Bottega Veneta by adding a new and youthful spirit to the collections, and his designs reflecting the spirit of the time became a talking point on social media and in the wider fashion industry. Now, as Burberry’s creative director, he’s tasked with working the magic again and, in particular, strengthening the brand’s accessories business.
Go Green: From 2012 to early 2020, a number of British menswear brands took center stage at the biannual London Collections: Men event. One of the best brands to emerge was Craig Green, who captured the industry’s imagination with his quirky approach and architectural designs. His spring 2015 runway debut was a poetic and deeply emotional take on contemporary men’s fashion, with coats resembling samurai robes; strap fastenings on sleeves; and visible seams on the outside of clothing. Later collections would include clothing that could also be used as a nomad’s tent or flying machine; Green’s wild imagination would earn him many accolades at the Fashion Awards in London.
Now you see: When the “see now, buy now” trend began to emerge in 2016, Burberry’s Christopher Bailey jumped in early. He ambitiously organized a show in London and pre-filled the stores with the new collection. At 8 p.m., shortly after the “September 2016” show wrapped, hundreds of customers were waiting at Burberry’s Regent Street store in London, ready to purchase 83 looks and more than 250 pieces. “Moving forward, trying new things, is a big part of the company culture,” Bailey told WWD. “Nothing lasts forever, we are testing things and we definitely don’t have all the answers.” Burberry (and most other brands testing “see now, buy now”) eventually reverted to the previous season format, but Bailey’s early move took heart and got the industry thinking and talking.
Queen Meets Quinn: In 2018, Queen Elizabeth attended her first and last fashion show and won the inaugural British Design award for Queen Elizabeth II. He gave the Elizabeth Prize to Richard Quinn. The award, which recognizes fashion’s role in society and diplomacy, has been given in subsequent years to designers including Bethany Williams, Alighieri’s Rosh Mahtani and Priya Ahluwalia. But nothing compares to the queen’s surprise visit and the moment when she stepped onto the podium and declared: “Our fashion industry has been renowned for exceptional craftsmanship for many years and continues to produce world-class textiles and cutting-edge designs.” Four years later, Quinn and a group of London designers would pay tribute to Her Majesty at their fashion shows following her death in September 2022.
Launch Gallery: 40th London Fashion Week: A Look Back at the Most Memorable Moments
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