London Fashion Week returns on Friday to celebrate the nation’s most esteemed design talents

Over the course of five days, editors, buyers and social media influencers will come together to see what brands including Molly Goddard and JW Anderson have up their sleeves for spring/summer 2020.

But this September could mark the beginning of a seismic shift in the fashion industry.

With the increasing likelihood of a no-deal Brexit looming and environmentalists putting pressure on the British Fashion Council (BFC) to cancel fashion week altogether, there’s a very real chance that this bi-annual trade event might never be the same again.

From sartorial mastery to political shakeups, read on for everything you can expect from London Fashion Week this season.

Few fashion fans can forget the pivotal moment when Jodie Comer stomped across our TV screens in a frothy candyfloss-coloured gown. In the role of Villanelle, the Killing Eve actor accessorised her look with chunky black biker boots and a signature scowl. It made quite the impression. So much so, that designer Molly Goddard has become one of the most anticipated London Fashion Week shows ever since, with editors and influencers rushing to marvel at the Central Saint Martins graduate’s latest frou frou offerings. Last season, these included several tiered tulle gowns that came in neons, blacks and creams. But the showstopper was a devastingly dramatic fuchsia gown that featured so much tulle it almost tickled the toes of those on front row.

Meanwhile, British accessories maverick Anya Hindmarch is back with yet another playful runway, having previously entertained attendees with sets featuring chubby bean bag clouds and a giant woven tunnel. This season, Hindmarch will display her spring/summer 2020 collection in an immersive scarlet maze built inside Soho’s Brewer Street Car Park. We can see the selfies already #mazelife.

In a Fashion Week first, people can now buy tickets to the bi-annual event. While the BFC has previously hosted an additional ticketed event for the public, named London Fashion Week Festival, this September marks the first time that on-schedule designers will invite people to see their collections alongside industry insiders. Instead of putting on a single runway as usual, brands including AlexaChung, House of Holland and Self Portrait will host sessions across two days consisting of a catwalk show and a talk led by industry leaders.

Standard tickets cost £135 and entitle guests to a complimentary drink and access to the BFC’s Positive Fashion Designer Exhibition in addition to access to the catwalk show and the corresponding talk. Those who want something extra special can pay £245 for all of the above in addition to access to a VIP lounge and a front row seat at the catwalk show.