London Fashion Week: Its Impact On Us
Courtesy of Dazed
Written By: Natalie Ladino
London Fashion Week encompasses everything this month has been about for BOF. Designers such as Nensi Dojaka, Conner Ives, 16Arlington, and Supriya Lele focused on body inclusivity. Designers like Ozwald Boateng showcase their individuality and diversity at their shows. All over London, the energy was exorbitant and unbounded. Designers, on-lookers, celebrities, and everyone in between delved into the energy that indicated a phenomenal advancement in the fashion industry.
Nensi Dojaka, in particular, is known for her bodycon apparel. Even if she isn’t known by name, celebrities like Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, and Rihanna have flaunted her collections. This season, she drew more inspiration from the female form and put femininity at the forefront. Each model on her runway had a “bodycon” item, but they were individualized to their character. Each model was their own persona through the eyes of Dojaka. The traditional bodycon dress isn’t a tight-fitting dress. Instead, each dress is designed to the individual female; Dojaka uses cut-outs, sheer material, and different shades of color to make each item exceptionally unique for women. Her emphasis on body diversity and apparel that matches different body types is another step forward towards a more inclusive fashion atmosphere.
Imagine: it’s 2010 and the fashion fad was grunge trends and edgy clothing. 2010 was your last fashion show, but after 12 years on a hiatus, you immersed yourself back into the spotlight at London Fashion Week. That is the story of British-Ghanaian designer Ozwald Boateng. Including fashion, music, and art, Boateng showcased Black excellence. Black excellence has been a significant part of Boateng’s life. While starting up in the late 20th century, Boateng faced racism in the fashion industry. It wasn’t as developed as it is today. Through years of designing and putting his creativity public, he’s changed and evolved his looks while keeping his classic touches. His collection, of over 100 looks, showcased gender-fluid clothing and sustainable materials. Boateng is proud of his comeback and explains how “I’ve always been gender-fluid with my designs, but, much like the subject of race, I’ve never felt like I could openly express it because of the times we were in, but obviously that’s all changed for the better now,” (Vogue). His show was one, of many, that testified to the progress the fashion industry has made.
We are growing into an environment where openness, differences, and individuality, of all kinds, are encouraged and put on display. These new attitudes and approaches should continue to be highlighted more often. For young people, students, fashion designers, adolescents struggling to find their own individuality, and minorities: these designers are our inspirations. They are giving us the exposure that no one else has. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are the most important aspects to progress our society. With designers around the globe incorporating different model sizes, gender-fluid clothing, or simply making each article of clothing individualistic to the model, the atmosphere is changing toward a positive direction. Everyone is now being included in the dialogue and the energy should not stop in London. This past month, the Business of Fashion Society at Villanova University has highlighted DE&I topics throughout the fashion industry. London Fashion Week was another spectacular showcase of what’s still to come in fashion.
Read more below:
https://www.vogue.com/article/ozwald-boateng-celebrates-black-excelleance-with-homecoming-in-london
https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/london-fashion-week-aw22-recap