LONDON FASHION WEEK presented by Clearpay announces September 2022 City-Wide Celebration in London

The British Fashion Council (BFC)  has announced the schedule for City-Wide Celebration taking place during London Fashion Week (LFW) presented by Clearpay from Friday 16th to Tuesday 20th September 2022. 

Image from London Fashion Week/British Fashion Council website

City-Wide Celebration is a curated programme of unique experiences and promotions open to the public throughout LFW, spearheaded by inclusivity and consciousness, moving the fashion conversation forward through industry wide participation and partnerships.

More than 450 events including designer Q&A sessions, workshops around Zero-Waste Craftsmanship and upcycling, live music performances and limited edition product drops in partnership with key retailers, cultural institutions and designer brands are on the schedule, encouraging participation and increased accessibility, inspiring diverse communities with evergreen content accessible online and in person.

The Celebration will open with a special event curated with principal partner, Clearpay, on Friday 16th September. Taking place in Covent Garden and open to all, shoppers will have the opportunity to shop exclusive merchandise. In addition, look out for City-Wide activations throughout the city in renowned shopping destinations including Chelsea, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, and Regent Street as well as on the LFW Digital Hub.

New this season and with special thanks to Cadogan, Chelsea will host a Designer Picnic’ and sustainability showcase on Saturday 17th September from 10-4pm. Other highlights during the day include a ‘Stitch and Bitch’ session at Duke of York Square, a single-use plastic free Food Market featuring sustainable food pioneers, and brand activations from over 20 neighbourhood shops and restaurants.

Covent Garden is partnering with UK charity Smart Works to bring every fashion and beauty lover’s dream boutique to 20 Floral Street. The Smart Works x Covent Garden pop-up will stock a selection of the most exciting fashion brands including Ganni, Mulberry, Rixo, Theory, The Outnet, Rejina Pyo, Frame, Bobbi Brown at an exclusive discounted price, with 100% of proceeds going directly to Smart Works.

The Crown Estate will also be collaborating with the Lone Design Club on a pop up store, creating a unique series of events highlighting innovations in materials and manufacturing through upcycling, reuse, and rental.

The full schedule of activities taking place can be found on the official LFW website here.

Caroline Rush, CEO British Fashion Council, said, “Our aim with City-Wide Celebration is to engage communities throughout London to get involved with fashion and to showcase the incredible creativity, diversity and openness London is known for. This season will see a fantastic lineup of city-wide events and experiences on schedule driving footfall into the capital, which will increase revenue opportunities for designer businesses and help maintain London’s competitive position as a creative world leader.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said “London is an international fashion capital, and the industry is playing a vital role in our economic recovery. The return of city-wide celebrations during London Fashion Week is a fantastic opportunity for people from all backgrounds to experience this dynamic industry that contributes so much to London’s economy. I encourage Londoners and visitors to take advantage of the unique activities and experiences on offer and celebrate our capital’s trail-blazing creativity.”

Nick Molnar, Co-Founder of Clearpay, said: “Our participation in  London Fashion Week has always been to support British retailers and to make fashion accessible to our loyal customers. We’re thrilled that this season’s City-Wide Celebration will allow us to do exactly this by giving back to the diverse communities within London and by providing an important economic boost to London’s retail and fashion industry.”