By Luke Leitch, Vogue Business

The British Fashion Council today teased a new format for this summer’s edition of London Fashion Week that “aims to ignite a cultural moment”. Running from 7 to 10 June, the event will include exhibitions, panel discussions, cultural events, and catwalk shows with a focus on menswear.

The edition will open with a special event at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. According to the release: “In collaboration with three guest curators, the British Fashion Council (BFC) will explore Black culture centred around self-love; South Asian culture with focus on pattern, textile and craftsmanship; and queer culture, with a spotlight on young creative voices from the trans community.”

To mark the week’s anniversary year, the BFC has shaped a “40 for 40” programme that will feature activations by “leading British brands and designers”, including shows, presentations and other events. It is understood that more precise details of this schedule will be released closer to the date.

Caroline Rush, the BFC’s chief exec, said in the release: “The new format is a direct result of the conversations we are continuously having with the BFC community (designers, media, UK and international retailers). We want to ensure we are recognising the business needs of our designers and providing them with a global showcasing platform, which is both relevant and beneficial.” Main sponsors include French beer brand 1664 Blanc and Diet Coke.

Menswear season shows in London first began back in June 2012 in a format then called ‘London Collections: Men’. It proved highly successful for several years, attracting a broad audience of global buyers and plenty of celebrity heat. For a few golden seasons, its schedules featured Tom Ford, Grace Wales Bonner, JW Anderson, Alexander McQueen, Coach, the brilliant Sibling and Craig Green.

However, it was eventually laid low by the simultaneous rise of both co-ed and see-now, buy-now shows, which most commercially powerful brands chose to experiment with during the more-watched womenswear weeks. The decision of Burberry to go co-ed in 2016 was particularly impactful. Other menswear designers, meanwhile, decamped to Paris or Milan. The event was rebranded as London Fashion Week Men’s in 2017 before its more recent pivot to ‘London Fashion Week June’.