Olympics boost £100m Fashion Week - Fashion - Life & Style - Evening Standard
       

Olympics boost £100m Fashion Week

London is set for the most star-studded Fashion Week ever, with sales forecast to surpass £100million as the capital cashes in on hosting the Olympics.

Celebrities both on and off the catwalk will be at the six-day event, starting on Friday.

Hollywood actresses such as Scarlett Johansson are expected to see the first ever shows by Stella McCartney, right, Alexander McQueen's label McQ and Moschino's Cheap And Chic line.

Influential buyers from the US, Russia and the Middle East have already started arriving - encouraged by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who said she "can't remember a more culturally exciting time in London".

The British Fashion Council, the event organiser, said the fashion industry contributes £21billion a year to the UK economy. It wants to increase that by focusing on Chinese customers, who are among the top spenders.

As well as encouraging buyers from China with incentives, there is a biannual London Fashion Week showcase in Bejing.

The BFC said: "Fashion Week is the start of the biggest and most ambitious year ever for the Fashion Council. The calibre of the catwalk shows gets stronger ever year."

While Milan's biannual fashion event is dominated by global brands, in London the emphasis is on creativity and individual designers.

Hot tickets next week include Scottish print expert Jonathan Saunders, Christopher Kane and Mary Katrantzou.

Saunders said: "More than ever, London has massive growth not just in fashion but a number of creative disciplines.

"My label has had growing interest from foreign markets."

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