London Fashion Week was launched in 1984 by the British Fashion Council.
The event was created to give British designers a coordinated international platform and to strengthen London’s position alongside Paris, Milan and New York. Its first edition took place in February 1984, with designers presenting collections to press and buyers.
The British Fashion Council remains closely associated with the event, although London Fashion Week is not simply a trade fair. It combines runway shows, presentations, designer appointments and industry events, with participation changing from season to season.
A common mix-up is to confuse the launch year with the year the British Fashion Council was founded. The council was established earlier, in 1983, while London Fashion Week followed in 1984.