Why June’s London Fashion Week has been cancelled
A silence that speaks volumes. In 2025, there will be no effervescence on the streets of Soho in June. The British Fashion Council has decided to suspend London’s Men’s Fashion Week. Behind this cancellation lies a major strategic shift that repositioned the ambitions of British fashion.
A pragmatic choice: Paris for men’s fashion
From June 26 to July 1, 2025, BFC will set up its showroom in Paris. Caroline Rush, the outgoing Managing Director, has taken this commercial decision on board, preferring to focus on “concrete sales opportunities for designers”. To put it plainly: a showroom in Paris, visible to the press and international buyers, now seems more profitable than a sparse schedule of shows in London.
This choice comes after a long erosion of the June rendez-vous. Born in 2012 under the name London Collections: Men, the appointment was once glorious for Alexander McQueen, JW Anderson or Craig Green. But in recent years, attendance and media visibility have steadily declined.
A changing post-pandemic landscape
Since 2020, between digital formats, mixed editions and experiments, London Fashion Week has lost its legibility. In 2024, a design focus at the Institute of Contemporary Art attempted to rekindle interest, without any real breakthrough. Names like Martine Rose, Denzilpatrick and Harri tried to rekindle the flame. But too few to justify a complete edition.
Emerging brands, faced with high costs and plummeting visibility, are gradually deserting the official calendar.
The Paris showroom: a solid alternative?
BFC now relies on a hybrid strategy: physical presence in Paris, strengthened digital approach. The aim? To restore British menswear to its rightful place in a rapidly changing global landscape. An audacious gamble… but perhaps a saving grace.
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