London has once again found an innovative way to promote its industry. A new event dedicated to the sale of pre-collections is to start on 18th June, the British Fashion Council announced on 21st May. Starting the day after the presentation of London’s menswear collections ends, and just before Pitti Uomo in Florence, ‘London Collections: Women’ will invite buyers on a tour of individual and group showrooms throughout the capital. Amongst the designers confirmed by the BFC are Roland Mouret, whose core collections are presented at Paris Fashion Week, as well as Mulberry, Paul Smith and Burberry, which should give buyers a taster of what to expect in September.

JW Anderson, pre fall-winter 2012-2013

“The aim is to create a resource for buyers, media and stylists to navigate the breadth of designers selling in London during this time”, said Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council. “Many designers showing at London Fashion Week have now introduced pre-collections”. The use of pre-collections – orders for which are usually placed in May and arrive in store in November – is no longer reserved to luxury houses, ‘contemporary’ labels also use them. Acne, J Brand and even French label Sessùn have recently taken up pre-collections as a way of expanding their offer in store between the spring-summer and autumn-winter orders.