In light of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and a period of national mourning, the fate of London Fashion Week’s Spring Summer 2022 was an uncertain one last week. Quintessentially British brand Burberry, as well as Raf Simons, who was due to present his London debut, quickly announced the cancellation of their shows after the news broke. But with the government allowing events to continue, the consensus was that the show must go on. The British Fashion Council announced that “shows and presentations of collections can continue, but we are asking that designers respect the mood of the nation”, with just non-essential events and parties cancelled, as well as Monday’s shows being rescheduled in respect of the funeral. So it was clear that some spectacular last-minute tributes to Elizabeth II were likely to ensue.
Things began on Thursday evening with Daniel W Fletcher, the young designer famed for his transgressive unisex collections. As the fashion pack jostled into The Londoner hotel behind Leicester Square, an unusually sombre mood filled the air. Gone were the usual pre-show cocktails. Fletcher opened his show with last season; this was a business-only affair, given the British Fashion Council’s guidelines.
