Friday 8 January 2016

BFC LCM Opening Event celebrating St James's #LONDON COLLECTIONS MEN






JERMYN STREET & ST JAMES’S CELEBRATED AT OPENING LONDON COLLECTIONS MEN PARTY
Last night, to kick off the eighth season of London Collections Men, the British Fashion Council chose to celebrate in St James’s, the home of London’s menswear for over 400 years, with an opening night party hosted by Caroline Rush CBE, Dylan Jones OBE and Jefferson Hack.

Guests enjoyed G’Vine gin and tonics and Nyetimber English sparkling wine in the splendid surroundings of Spencer House, St James’s.  Luke Evans, Will.i.am, David Gandy, Jim Chapman Tracey Emin and Robert Konjic were all seen enjoying the event for the opening of LCM.
St James’s has been at the heart of Menswear in London since the 1600s, when resident hatmakers Lock & Co first opened their doors in 1676. Today Jermyn Street remains the most important street in British Menswear with 88% of the shops on the street being British brands and is home to the highest concentration of British, luxury menswear names including John Lobb, New & Lingwood, Budd, Turnbull & Asser and Daks, over 30 in total. Hosting the opening LCM party now brings this tradition up to date.  

Chair of the BFC Menswear Committee and Editor of GQ magazine, Dylan Jones OBE commented “St James’s has played a large part in the attempts by the British Fashion Council to champion London during the bi-annual men’s fashion week, London Collections Men. To our international visitors, from China, Korea, Japan, the US and everywhere else, a St James’s event has become a staple. Personally, St James’s is one of my favourite parts of London.”

For five consecutive seasons St James’s has held events during London Collections which culminated in last summer’s traffic-stopping Jermyn Street catwalk show seen by over 1,200 Londoners during men’s fashion week in June. Since its inception three years ago, the number of designers showcasing their talents at London Collections Men has grown rapidly in recognition of the growth of interest in men’s fashion in the capital. As The Crown Estate continues with its plan of £500m investment, bringing into the area over 70,000 square foot of retail space as well as new offices and restaurants, it is clear that St James’s will cement its place at the  centre of that growth.

The Crown Estate’s investment programme within St James’s seeks to secure the areas’ long term future, enhance its reputation as a destination for high quality shopping and dining, protect its niche in the West End and preserve its world class heritage.  With contemporary menswear brands such as Sunspel, Tiger of Sweden and Grosvenor Shirts finding a home in the area alongside reinvigorated heritage brands, St James’s has reaffirmed  its place as the centre of men’s style. A combination of the newly arrived brands and the more established traditional labels such as Aquascutum and Turnbull & Asser means St James’s can now offer an unrivalled choice of clothing and accessories in the heart of London.



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