Fashion Shows Taking Place on Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral Day To Be Rescheduled
Non-core business events like parties will be canceled.
Shortly after the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the British Fashion Council announced updates to the London Fashion Week schedule, which runs from September 16 to 20.
The BFC said in a statement that it will follow royal protocol, with all core business activities continuing during LFW. However, non-core business events like parties and openings will be canceled. Additionally, any shows happening on the day of the Queen’s funeral will be rescheduled.
“We are deeply saddened by the devastating news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who has dedicated her life to serving her country, this her platinum jubilee year recognizes 70 years on the throne. The country will enter an official mourning period from today. This will coincide with London Fashion Week,” the BFC wrote. “London Fashion Week is a business-to-business event and an important moment for designers to show their collections at a specific moment in the fashion calendar, we recognize the work that goes into this moment,” it continued. “Therefore, shows and presentations of collections can continue but we are asking that designers respect the mood of the nation and the period of national mourning by considering the timing of their image release. We will also communicate this to the media asking for them to also respect this.”
Affected brands on the schedule include Richard Quinn, Nensi Dojaka, Rejina Pyo, Simone Rocha, Yuhan Wang, Erdem, Stefan Cooke, KWK by Kay Kwok, Margaret Howell, 16Arlington, J E Cai, David Koma, Halpern, Abigail Ajobi and Tove, WWD reports. The BFC will be announcing a finalized schedule once the funeral date is confirmed.
Some brands have began issuing statements regarding their canceled shows, including Raf Simons and Burberry. “Following the devastating news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Il, we have decided to cancel the Raf Simons catwalk show on the 16th of September,” read an email from the Raf Simons team. “As the country enters a period of official mourning, we will pause during this time of great sadness.”
Meanwhile, Burberry announced, “As a mark of respect, we have taken the decision to cancel our SS23 runway show due to take place on 17 September in London. We hope to see you in the near future.”
