The AW26 season of London Fashion Week is underway, with Laura Weir, CEO of the British Fashion Council (BFC), officially opening the event with a rallying message of unity: “we’re all in this together” – a sentiment that underpins her mission to champion accessibility, cultural relevance and global visibility for British fashion.
With a renewed focus on supporting British designers and strengthening London’s cultural influence, show fees remain waived for designers presenting physically on the main schedule.
The British Fashion Council has also doubled its investment in its International Guest Programme this season, welcoming an expanded cohort of international press, cultural commentators and buyers to the city.
“This is my second opening breakfast as CEO of British Fashion Council. And I have to say, standing here this morning feels very different to standing here six months ago, and not just because I was hanging out with the king yesterday,” Weir joked.
“The last season was about listening. I was really new and I wanted to just hear everything, so I was asking a lot of questions and understanding what we really needed. And so this year, now six months on, is about actions.
“Over the past half year, we’ve worked hard to reset the direction of the BFC and to reposition London Fashion Week, not just as a schedule of shows, but as a platform for growth, global dialogue, and creative and commercial authority, because London and British fashion matter.”
She continued, referencing mounting global challenges and reinforcing the importance of coming together to celebrate what matters most.
“In a global industry that’s consolidating, accelerating and polarising, it’s exceptionally tough and very confusing at the moment. Our responsibility as the British Fashion Council is really clear, in that it’s our job to support, defend and promote British fashion, and this year, you’re going to see some really tangible shifts,” Weir emphasised.
She confirmed that a new strategy will launch “really soon”, alongside new systems and enhanced support structures, placing business incubation and designer development at the heart of the organisation.
British Fashion Council CEO Laura Weir pictured with King Charles III at Tolu Coker AW26.
This season’s London Fashion Week schedule features 90 designers and organisations. Highlights include 41 catwalk shows, 20 presentations, four appointments, 33 events and 19 digital activations.
A key addition is the LFW Designer Showcase, a new platform designed to connect designers directly with local and international industry experts, reflecting a broader shift toward purpose-driven creativity with tangible commercial outcomes.
Running until 23 February, the showcase spotlights designers at the forefront of British fashion, many of whom have progressed through BFC Foundation initiatives. Participants include Aaron Esh, Ahluwalia, Bleue Burnham, Clio Peppiatt, Clothsurgeon, E.W. Usie, Johanna Parv, Nicholas Daley, Steve O Smith, Talia Byre and Thevxlley.
Culture is also in sharper focus this season. Chet Lo spotlights Asian makers through a dedicated market, while KNWLS returns with a “KNWLS Universe” pop-up celebrating fashion, art, food, music and literature in collaboration with its community. Nicholas Daley will host a pop-up showcasing his SS26 collection, bringing together craft, design and community. H&M Studio also returns with an immersive townhouse takeover.
Beyond the official schedule, London retailers are staging complementary activations across the capital. Dover Street Market presents a BFC Jewellery Showcase, Selfridges curates a dedicated LFW edit, and British Vogue and Nike host a takeover at Corner Shop, adjacent to the BFC Newgen Show Space at 180 Strand throughout the week.
“The participation continues to grow,” Weir noted. “We’re doing this together, and that’s why we’re taking off. So I’m really proud to announce that this February, we’re 21% up on activations on the schedule.
“It’s our job to create flexible formats to showcase exceptional work and visions in environments that reflect open, transparent formats for the industry. So I’m really proud that it’s not just shows. There are events and retail openings and moments of commercial excellence and creative excellence too.”
With an expanded schedule, new formats and strengthened cultural programming, London Fashion Week autumn/winter 2026 reaffirms its role as a platform for creativity and global cultural exchange.