"London's on fire" was the message from the organisers, as London Fashion Week opened yesterday starting a week that will see some 57 designers parade their winter 2008 collections on the catwalk.
This was not a reference to the devastating conflagration in Camden Town on Saturday night, which wreaked havoc on one of the city's iconic sites, but to the "burning creative talent" long associated with a capital that flushes out gifted fledglings annually from the city's design nests.
This season, establishment figures like Jasper Conran, Paul Smith and Betty Jackson will flex their muscle alongside growing businesses like Giles Deacon, Luella and Christopher Kane and a host of up-and-coming young designers sponsored by Top Shop and the British Fashion Council. Despite fledglings taking flight to other climes - Preen and Jonathan Saunders being the latest designers to defect from London to New York - the week sees the return of Britain's Queen of Punk, Vivienne Westwood, showing her Red Label; the revival of two sixties brands, Ossie Clark and Biba; along with 28 Esthetica designers promoting eco-sustainable fashion.
A major boost this season has been the £4.2 million (€5.6 million) sponsorship deal from the London Development Agency to promote the city's reputation as a leading fashion capital. The event is expected to generate more than 5,000 visitors.
"This is a showcase of British fashion and our fashion designers do us proud," said the British prime minister's wife Sarah Brown, dressed in black from head to toe, who officially launched the week along with outgoing chairman of the British Fashion Council, Sir Stuart Rose, at the Natural History Museum.
"In 2012 London will be the capital of the world," Sir Stuart told The Irish Times referring to the Olympic Games, "and fashion has always been part of that." Dismissing reports that big US retailers were bypassing London because of "exorbitant" prices, he agreed that "we have had a tough time with the dollar, but in recent weeks parity has come back again and people will always come to London to see what is exciting."
He was equally sanguine about the size-zero model controversy and the recent UK model health inquiry. "What is important is that designers and model agencies voluntarily self-regulate. We want to move towards safeguarding the health of the models who display the clothes, but I think common sense will prevail," he said.
Stephen Quinn, the influential Irish-born Condé Nast publisher, whose stable includes Vogue and GQ, attended Paul Costelloe's show yesterday and was also upbeat. "London has a new confidence," he said. "I have been coming here for 25 years and have never seen it so assertive, confident and well-funded. It is the quality and professionalism of the leadership [ of Hilary Riva, Stuart Rose] that has made a difference."
John Rocha will show tomorrow morning.
