London Fashion Week opened with the promise that its 25th anniversary showcase will be as glamorous as usual, despite the bleak economic climate.
The British Fashion Council (BFC), which organises fashion week, said designers were asked if they wanted to scale back their catwalk shows and replace them with less expensive presentations.
But most designers declared the catwalk shows must go on - and a packed schedule opened with the autumn/winter collection from Paul Costelloe.
His Park Avenue collection was filled with flared dresses and coats in thick brocades and knits. Only the super high collars which many of the models hid behind added flamboyance to the wearable collection.
Costelloe's flattering tailoring received a warm welcome from the audience but the only collective gasp was heard during British Fashion Council (BFC) chairman Harold Tillman's opening speech.
As he officially declared Fashion Week open, Mr Tillman said it would be the last time it would be hosted by the Natural History Museum. It will move to Somerset House, in central London, in September. Mr Tillman said the new venue was "iconic and more central".
"We plan to take London Fashion Week into a totally new era," he said.
The BFC and Fashion Week are celebrating their 25th anniversary.
Mr Tillman said the BFC had created fashion week to help British designers "to grow and develop their businesses". Hinting at the difficult times facing British industry, he added: "Never has this felt more important than it has today."
The BFC launched a new website and Mr Tillman announced the creation of a fund to support designers and the launch of a report to assess "the depth and breadth" of the industry.
