London: London Fashion Week opens Thursday with designer Harris Reed’s striking silhouettes celebrating gender fluid fashion, kicking off a slimmed down schedule with several absentees. The queer British-American designer and creative director at Nina Ricci will showcase designs from his eponymous label, which he describes as “Romanticism Gone Nonbinary”, in one of the most electrifying shows of the LFW Autumn-Winter 2025 calendar.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Reed’s distinctive, theatrical designs, often involving wallpaper panels and even vintage upholstery, are set to descend on the runway at London’s iconic Tate Britain art gallery. The 28-year-old designer behind the tulle skirt worn by Harry Styles on the famous Vogue US cover in 2020 has caught the eye of celebrities from Lil Nas X to Adele and Beyonce. His fan base grew further last year when he styled actress Lily Collins in a viral black-and-white striped catsuit for the popular TV show “Emily in Paris”.
From Friday morning, regulars of the event organised by the British Fashion Council (BFC) will take over runways, including Erdem, Simone Rocha, Richard Quinn, and Roksanda, before closing with the Burberry show on Monday evening. The brand with its iconic tartan print, which is going through a difficult period, is the subject of rumours about the departure of its creative director Daniel Lee, who arrived a little over two years ago and has struggled to modernise the house. Lee could be replaced by English designer Kim Jones, who left Dior Men at the end of January after seven years, according to several media reports.
One confirmed absence from London’s runways will be JW Anderson, the label by Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, who is also the creative director at the Spanish fashion house Loewe. The timing is likely not a coincidence, with the designer reportedly poised to take the reins at Dior. Anderson, who was named the 2024 Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, was also absent during the men’s fashion weeks at Milan and Paris, where Loewe, owned by LVMH, usually showcases.
For the first time, this year young designers who are part of the BFC’s NEWGEN programme will have to describe how their collections comply with minimum sustainability standards. The BFC, which funds this incubator for emerging talent, is following in the footsteps of the smaller, eco-conscious Copenhagen Fashion Week, which has adopted the policy since 2023.