Yet beneath all the gloss, critics in the crowds pointed to the city’s waning fashion influence, and were already looking ahead to attend their next destination — Paris.
Paris Fashion Week kicked off on Monday. The grand finale of the “big four” fashion capitals, it caps a month-long circuit from New York to London to Milan and, finally, Paris.
For fashion enthusiasts, the hierarchy is clear. “London is more like personal and niche brands, and Paris is more international, bigger brands,” blogger Elizabeth, who only gave us her first name, told POLITICO on the sidelines of the runway. “Both have their benefits. But yeah, of course, I prefer Paris.”
Emma Verdoian, a high jewelry specialist at Tiffany & Co., noted the shift. “When I was in Paris Fashion Week last year, it felt like the whole city was in it. Some London designers have chosen other cities to present their collections, just because there’s more exposure.”
Texting in from New York, stylist Alissar Wynn, who has worked for brands like Louis Vuitton and Stella McCartney, said: “Post-Brexit, very few designers show there. If I wasn’t in the industry, I wouldn’t even be able to tell you when London Fashion Week was because I can’t say that it has a massive impact on the city or tourism. In Paris, you can’t even enter Hotel Costes, there are so many people there.”
As major staples like Victoria Beckham and Vivienne Westwood opt to show in Paris, and the U.K. grapples with the fallout of scrapping tax-free shopping, critics point to Brexit’s lasting toll on the nation’s fashion industry.
