Last Updated on 6th April 2024
London Fashion Week is one of the biggest events on the fashion calendar. Along with being a celebration of the latest fashion trends and styles, it is a place where the latest designers can launch their careers and instantly gain worldwide prominence.
How Did It Happen?
This is thanks to the size and magnitude of London Fashion Week. Based on the last pre-pandemic event in 2020, the 72 catwalk shows and presentations were attended by over 100,000 people, including a mixture of fashion aficionados, buyers, and A-list celebrities. This resulted in £269 million being generated in terms of income.
As proof of how London Fashion Week can change the fashion world – and using research from Betway – this article will spotlight five now-iconic designers that launched their careers at the event.
John Galliano
While current London Fashion Week events are much larger in scale than they were during those formative years, this doesn’t mean the first events weren’t influential. In fact, the inaugural London Fashion Week in 1984 was the debut of the influential John Galliano.
A recent Central Saint Martins graduate, Galliano presented Les Incroyables – his French Revolution-inspired graduate collection – at London Fashion Week. This turned out to be an instant hit, and Galliano would later be recognised as the British Fashion Designer of the Year on four separate occasions.
Alexander McQueen
Even though he passed away over a decade ago, Alexander McQueen remains one of the biggest mainstream names in the fashion world. Yet before the acclaim and recognition, his career was launched at the 1992 London Fashion Week.
In the decade following his debut show at the event, McQueen was rewarded with the British Designer of the Year award in 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2003.
Philip Treacy
Philip Treacy left an indelible mark at the 1993 London Fashion Week. Before his designs could change the fashion world, however, he riled the press due to instructing a topless Naomi Campbell to walk down the runway.
Beyond this controversial moment, Treacy has gone on to win the British Accessory Designer of the Year award an impressive five times. In addition, he is recognised as being the driving force behind the revitalisation of the hat-making industry in Britain.
Stella McCartney
Yes, she might be the daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney. However, don’t let the surname fool you – Stella McCartney has carved out a highly successful career in fashion on her own accord.
This all started with her debut show at London Fashion Week in 1995. Following this, McCartney’s rise to prominence saw her work as Team GB’s Creative Director for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and she also received the British Fashion Council Red Carpet Award in 2011.
Simone Rocha
Despite the shadow of her father, the iconic designer John Rocha, looming large, Simone Rocha has made quite the splash following the showcase of her graduate collection at the 2010 London Fashion Week.
Along with her work being worn by the likes of Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton, Rocha received 2016’s Womenswear Designer of the Year.
