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British Fashion Council CEO Laura Weir has outlined plans to broaden London Fashion Week’s reach and commercial impact, backed by new audience research and a wider mix of designer formats for SS27.
The event also marks David Pemsel’s final London Fashion Week as BFC Chair before Pavita Cooper succeeds him on 1 October.
Weir used the LFW Network Breakfast on Friday morning to present new research by BOP Consulting, commissioned to measure the event’s public reach. It found that 89% of Londoners know about London Fashion Week, while more than 80% of 18-to-24-year-olds have engaged with it.
Engagement among Londoners from Global Majority backgrounds stood at 71%.
“When I joined the British Fashion Council, I had one question: how do we quantify the impact of London Fashion Week?” Weir said.
The research forms part of the BFC’s efforts to position LFW as a platform serving consumers and commercial partners alongside designers, buyers and the media. Weir said the organisation had placed greater emphasis on curation for SS27, with the number of designers using alternative formats such as screenings and appointments up 100% this season.
LFW expands its mix of formats and businesses
The SS27 programme runs from 17 to 21 September and includes 47 runway shows, 10 digital activations, 23 presentations and 53 evening events.
The schedule includes the return of Alexander McQueen from Paris and Mulberry’s first runway show in six years, featuring Christopher Kane’s debut collection for the British house.
Marks & Spencer is also making its first LFW appearance later today with a see-now, buy-now collection. Other participants include Burberry, Erdem, Simone Rocha, Barbour, Richard Quinn, Roksanda and Harris Reed.
Retail and consumer activity extends beyond the formal schedule. eBay’s Endless Runway on Thursday combined a pre-owned fashion show with livestreamed auctions, while Selfridges is carrying a curated edit of LFW designers. Chopova Lowena has opened its first physical store in East London for the season.
The BFC’s Fashion Britain programme is also running across Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle. The initiative forms part of the organisation’s shift from London-centred promotion towards sustained UK-wide business support.
BFC targets £18 million annual revenue
These plans form part of BFC 2030: Access, Creativity, Growth, Weir’s four-year strategy to develop the trade body into a business accelerator and industry incubator.
By 2030, the BFC aims to generate £18 million in annual gross revenue, compared with £14 million in 2024-25. Its proposed programmes cover access to shared fashion infrastructure, business education, school engagement and international growth.
London Fashion Week and The Fashion Awards are central to that plan, with the former intended to generate longer-term commercial value and the latter operating as an international fundraiser. Pemsel said that ten editions of The Fashion Awards held during his time on the board had raised £7.2 million for the BFC Foundation.
Pemsel prepares for leadership handover
Pemsel will step down on 30 September, ending four years as Chair and a decade on the BFC board.
“It has been an enormous privilege to chair the BFC and to advocate for an industry that contributes £67.5 billion to the UK economy,” he said in his final LFW address.
“When I first addressed this community as Chair, I talked about the challenging environment in which British fashion was operating. I’m afraid to say… that hasn’t really changed.
“But through all the complexities we’ve navigated over the past four years, one thing has remained constant: my profound belief in this industry and in the extraordinary power of creativity and its impact on culture and commerce. It is about challenging the norms, freedom of expression, and uniting people through bold ideas and origination.
“Creativity is our superpower. It is what puts British fashion at the heart of the cultural zeitgeist. It is what makes our industry so important, culturally, creatively and economically. And it is something we must protect, support and nurture, from emerging talent to our most established businesses.
“That belief has been at the heart of my time as Chair. Over the past four years, my focus has been on strengthening the cultural and commercial impact of the BFC, and I am proud of what we have achieved together. I talked in my first speech about the need for demonstrable impact. And I think we can say we have delivered that year after year.”
Pavita Cooper will become Chair on 1 October, with a remit spanning government relationships, fundraising and fashion’s contribution to UK growth. Caroline Issa will take the newly created Deputy Chair position, focused on representation of the designer community.
Pemsel said the BFC was leaving his tenure in a financially resilient position, with Weir’s four-year strategy approved and the new leadership team in place.
“David has been an extraordinary Chair and a tireless advocate for British fashion. Personally, I want to thank him for his leadership, his energy, his support – and for everything he has done on behalf of this industry and this community. David, thank you,” said Weir.