London Fashion Week is a hit but designers miss vital edge

SUMMER 2023 has been far from ideal for the High Street, with a washout July knocking sales and most recently a September heatwave arriving just as jackets and knitwear hit store floors. So retailers in the capital will relish the prospect of scores of well-heeled, and often high-spending, fans of designer goods being in town for London Fashion Week (LFW).

- Joanna Hodgson

The clothing extravaganza starting on Friday boasts a line-up of 137 brands, and there are plenty of catwalks, presentations and parties to excite label lovers, influencers, retail buyers and fashion editors. Attendees are likely to boost West End footfall during the fiveday global showcase of talent, and some firms will be looking closely at the shopping areas that prove popular as they eye potential new store openings.

In encouraging signs for the capital's fashion business sector, latest research from property consultancy Colliers suggests there will be plenty of retail activity beyond LFW. The firm estimates there were requirements by 71 fashion and accessories brands for debut or additional London stores in the first half.

While that is 17% lower than a year earlier, it still means there is plenty of investment appetite, and there have been a string of openings already in 2023 such as Gucci's boutique on New Bond Street.