Organizers of the London Fashion Week show say the event will go on as earlier planned while observing “royal protocol” and including “our moments of respect”, following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.
The event, known as LFW and which runs from September 16th-20th, will be an opportunity for the industry to celebrate the monarch’s “legacy and commitment to creativity and design”, organizers said.
All union flags will fly at half mast during the event and a minute’s silence will be held at 8 pm on Sunday.
There will be no shows or events on Monday, September 19th, the day of the queen’s state funeral at Westminster Hall, in central London. It comes as high-fashion brands including Burberry and Raf Simons announced they would be canceling their shows at LFW following the historic news.
In a statement online and shared on social media, organizers said: “As a business-to-business event London Fashion Week will continue while observing Royal Protocol and the event will be dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with our own moments of respect.
“Having spoken to designers and industry members, we as an industry want to unite as a creative and business community to celebrate Her Majesty’s legacy and commitment to creativity and design.
“The British Fashion Council would like to thank our partners, designers, creative teams, brands, media, retailers, patrons, and broader stakeholder community.”
It added that the Newgen venue at Selfridges Hotel will have a space for industry members to write tributes.
An updated events schedule was also posted to the LFW website. The queen was known to be a long-time supporter of British fashion, launching the QEII Award for British Design at LFW in 2018 and presenting Richard Quinn with the inaugural award.
Following the news of her death, LFW said in a statement that her reign would be marked as “one of empathy, strength, and grace”.
“Her Majesty’s effortless style, charm, and sense of fun were evident and her passion for supporting young creatives will continue to inspire the next generation,” the statement read.