Burberry and Raf Simons cancel London Fashion Week shows as ‘mark of respect’ to Queen

British Fashion Council has confirmed London Fashion Week will still go ahead

Burberry and Raf Simons have cancelled their London Fashion Week shows following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Her Majesty died at Balmoral on Thursday afternoon (8 September), aged 96.

London Fashion Week is scheduled to go ahead next week, from 15 to 19 September, but Burberry has said that its ​​Spring/Summer 2023 show on 17 September will not go ahead “as a mark of respect”.

A spokesperson for Burberry told The Independent: “It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. As a mark of respect, we have taken the decision to cancel our Spring/Summer 2023 runway show due to take place on 17 September in London.”

The brand used its social media channels to pay respect to the late monarch, writing: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

“We join the Royal Family in mourning her loss.”

Raf Simons also announced on Friday (9 September) that it would be cancelling its LFW show next week. In a statement, the brand said: “Following the devestating news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we have decided to cancel the Raf Simons catwalk show on 16 September.

“As the country enters a period of official mourning, we will pause during this time of great sadness.”

The Queen’s cause of death is not yet known, but she had suffered mobility issues since October last year.

Her final act of public duty was on Tuesday (6 September), when she received the UK’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has confirmed that London Fashion Week will still go ahead as planned.

A statement released on Thursday evening read: “London Fashion Week is a business-to-business event, and an important moment for designers to show their collections at a specific moment in the fashion calendar, we recognise the work that goes into this moment.

“Therefore, shows and presentations of collections can continue, but we are asking that designers respect the mood of the nation and period of national mourning by considering the timing of their image release.”

The BFC has also recommended postponing or cancelling “non-essential” events such as openings or parties as the UK enters a 10-day period of mourning which is customary after the death of a monarch.

While the date and details of the Queen’s funeral is yet to be confirmed, traditionally it would take place 10 days after the monarch’s death, so in this instance it should fall on 18 or 19 September.

The BFC has said shows set to take place on the day of Her Majesty’s funeral will “need to be rescheduled”. It also said that designers with retail stores “may want to consider 24[-hour] immediate closure, black armbands for staff and closure on the day of the funeral”.