To kick off London Fashion Week, ELLE COLLECTIVE hosted an intimate launch event celebrating 40 years of British fashion—a perfect excuse to look back at the capital’s fashion legacy while getting excited about what’s next.
ELLE UK‘s Fashion Features Director, Tamison O’Connor, led the conversation, joined by designer Torishéju Dumi, model and activist Maxim Magnus, buyer Ida Peterson, and ELLE UK’s Commissioning Editor Naomi Pike.
Together, they unpacked the unstoppable creativity of British fashion, spotlighting trailblazing designers and iconic shows that have left a lasting mark on culture. Since its debut in 1984, LFW has built a reputation for discovering homegrown talent, and the panel shared their thoughts on the designers who are making waves right now—from Priya Ahluwalia to Harris Reed and Bianca Saunders.
Held at the legendary Groucho Club in Soho, the event brought together ELLE editors, COLLECTIVE members, and fashion insiders, who sipped margaritas while delving into the conversation. ICYMI, don’t worry—here are five key moments to catch up on:
ON LONDON’S COLLABORATIVE NATURE…
While British fashion is known for being a creative force on the world stage, what sets the city’s fashion scene apart is its unique commitment to fostering a community of collaboration. As Magnus recounted her early years in the industry, she shared the importance of being able to help and lean on others. ‘You become really invested in wanting to make their [your friends] small businesses work because you do see the struggles so much,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen my friends cry, go through immense joy, get immense investments then it be taken away. There’s so much celebration for what you do, but when the silence comes, it’s so deafening, and in London, somehow, we always have each other.’
ON NAVIGATING A CAREER IN A CHANGING INDUSTRY…
As it is with any sector, facing adversity can be difficult, at any stage in your career. The panel shared the lessons they’ve learned from a life in fashion for anyone working, or wanting to work in the industry .Magnus stated: ‘Don’t give a f*ck, have really tough skin and never comprise on your morals.’ Dumi spoke on the importance of self belief: ‘You have to do what you want, and never give up. Whatever you do in life, everything will come back to you.’ Elsewhere Peterson shared some do’s and dont’s for budding brand owners, noting: ‘The back end needs to work. In the 24 years of my career, I’ve seen so many amazing brands come and go, and 99% of it is down to them trying to run before they could walk, not knowing the power of no and the backend of their business not being in order.’ Lastly, Pike stated: ‘For the budding journalists, if you have writer’s block and you can’t think about it, don’t write, just tell, maybe talk it through. Whether you’re in the office or at home.’
ON SUPPORTING EMERGING DESIGNERS…
As the founder of her agenda-setting, eponymous fashion label, Torishéji Dumi understands what new creative talent need in order to grow. ‘As fast as these young designers can come up and take out a loan to do a show or presentation, in one season they could be gone the next, and then what?’ she questioned. ‘They need backing. When you are starting these brands, you need both financial backing and emotional support. You need someone to give you hindsight before certain things occur. They need mentors and the industry really needs to invest in that.’ She continued: ‘On the other hand, it can be so fun. If you’re a young brand you can do what you want, you can make random mistakes, and no one can say anything because you’re still at the stage of learning.’
ON LONDON’S VIBRANCY..
There’s no denying that London’s grittiness and diversity is what sets it apart in comparison with other fashion capitals. Magnus said: ‘What makes London such an amazing place is that it’s such a cultural hub. There’s so many different cultures and so many different people, I think that’s its biggest strength.”In London, you never know who you’re going to meet. You can really create a chosen fashion family here because everybody is so different.’
ON CELEBRATING CREATIVITY…
Heralded as one of the best cities for nurturing and celebrating creativity, London is home to some of the world’s best craftsmen, brands and designers. The secret? Peterson believes it lays in owning your individuality. ‘Just be yourself,’ she said. Today, so many brands, designers and stylists and look too much at others, and that kills creativity. The best designers and creatives that I know, focus on themselves.’
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