London Fashion Week Men's chairman Dylan Jones says fashion scene can beat Brexit ahead of weekend showcase

The tenth London Fashion Week Men's kicks off tomorrow in the capital
Agi & Sam have made this season's LFWM show open to the public
Reuters/Neil Hall

The capital’s fashion scene will weather the Brexit storm thanks to the "greatest design talent" in the world, men’s week chairman Dylan Jones said today.

The tenth London Fashion Week Men’s opens tomorrow and is set to be the biggest yet, with a 20 per cent increase in buyers and designers.

Jones, editor of British GQ as well as chairman of the four-day event, said initial fears about Brexit among designers, who polled 90 per cent in favour of remaining in the European Union, had been softened by the falling pound.

He told the Standard: "In the short term - because of the exchange rate - there has been a big bounce in London retail and I think a lot of people had a very good six months."

"Long-term, we’ve got to stop worrying about things we have no control over and start maximising the fact that not only does Britain have some of the greatest design talent in the world but also a fantastically vibrant retail culture and some of the most important and successful independent retailers and department stores in Europe. "

"It’s sort of suck it and see. Obviously Brexit is seriously going to affect financial services, there is going to be instability in the financial market this year, but the most important thing is to focus on what we do very well. What we do well in London and the UK in general is we have a fantastically vibrant, creative culture and that’s what we must celebrate."

More than 50 brands will present over the four days including Lou Dalton, Ben Sherman, Craig Green, Katie Eary, Oliver Spencer, Grace Wales Bonner and Dame Vivienne Westwood. Rapper Tinie Tempah will be showing his debut collection.

Grace Wales Bonner SS17 at London Collections Men

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Jones added: "As well as London Fashion Week Men’s being a platform for all the great designers in London and the UK, it’s also increasingly becoming a platform for international designers. This season we have designers from China, Korea, America, France, Italy and Scandinavia. All of those things point to London being increasingly recognised as an international hub."

Dylan Jones, British GQ editor and chairman of LFWM
Dave Benett

"You’ve already seen New York copy men's week which is great because I think whatever we can do to amplify menswear is important. People are always banging on about Brooklyn and Williamsburg being home of the hipster but I defy anyone who has been to Dalston or Brick Lane or Shoreditch or any of the great urban villages in London to say anywhere in the world is more important than London. London literally has everything."

"The fashion industry contributes more to this country than the car industry and that is something to be celebrated."

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