London Fashion Week Opens

It’s 10am and the models have already started to hit the catwalks for the first day of the week’s shows, but last night London Fashion Week opened with a champagne reception at Somerset House, the home of British fashion.

With Christopher Bailey and Sir Phillip Green among the guests, the British Fashion Council’s Harold Tilman and MP for Culture Ed Vaizey officially opened the week’s events to coincide with the “Value of UK Fashion” report which was launched yesterday at the House of Commons.

Highlighting the value of fashion within the UK, the report stated that the British fashion industry brings a direct value of nearly £21 billion to the UK and employs over 800,000 people. Last night’s party also showed off the stylish new catwalk tents, complete with a mini exhibition of photographer and former ELLE fashion director Iain R Webb’s backstage pictures.

What’s more, with numerous new initiatives launched this year, including the London Fashion Week soundtrack which will be playing out across the venues, the digital schedule will also be live streaming shows so those at home can watch.

Get set for a very special season…