September has always been fashion’s month. Traditionally, London competes for a single week alongside the other fashion capitals of the world. This year, however, the London leg continues to compete not only with these rivals but also with three additional cities – Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle – in an expanded ‘City Wide Celebration’ (CWC).

Under the new leadership of CEO Laura Weir, the British Fashion Council means to celebrate all aspects of the UK’s creative excellence, from its designers and retailers to its consumers.

Its ‘City Wide Celebration’ attempts to “decentralise British Fashion from London”. This is an important step to dispel notions of inaccessibility in an industry that may readily be accused of it. Eight months into the job, Weir told British Vogue that now is a good time for this direction: “We’ve come through the pandemic, we’ve got a new government, and we need to leave the shackles of the post-Brexit years behind us.”

CWC presented by 1664 Blanc (image courtesy of The British Fashion Council)

CWC is presented by 1664 Blanc and will host both stalwarts and newbies of the British fashion scene in free events nationwide, running until 30 September. It will range from discussions with designers (‘At Home With’) and clothes repair workshops to in-store promotional deals. The events will take place in some of Britain’s most iconic retail locations, including the Trafford Centre, Eldon Square, Fenwick Newcastle, and Liverpool One.

Liverpool is the first city on the agenda, with activations taking place from 5-7 September. On Saturday 6, the ‘At Home With’ series will spotlight the cultural and geographic roots of some of Britain’s most celebrated designers such as Patrick McDowell, Talia Byre, and S.S. Daley (of Harry Styles styling fame).

Alongside several exclusive promotions offered by high street favourites including Whistles, John Lewis and New Look, CWC also coincides with a retrospective of Vivienne Westwood’s astonishing career, from tailor of the Punk movement to household name. The exhibition at the Walker Gallery showcases several of the most celebrated pieces from the late designer’s legacy.

The next stop is Manchester, with the return of its very own fashion week (after a 10-year hiatus), championing sustainability and conscious fashion. The event, taking place from 9-11 September, will offer a Mancunian-specific lens to Britain’s fashion landscape, celebrating the city’s rich heritage – from an industrial centre to a leader in “futureproofing” the industry.

Trafford Centre, where CWC will take place from 12-16 September (image courtesy of The British Fashion Council)

The continuation of the ‘At Home With’ panel at the Trafford Centre will feature yet more exciting designers and includes Nadine Merabi, who left the England Hockey team behind to become a self-taught designer at the heart of British fashion. Merabi will be on a panel to discuss her work on 13 September.

Nadine Merabi, who will be on a panel to discuss her work on 13 September (image courtesy of The British Fashion Council)

The Trafford Centre will also host brand activations and promotions in shops such as Thomas Sabo, Swarovski, Clarks, Space NK and more. Additionally, Primark, a brand often synonymous with the scourge of fast fashion, will align itself with the ethos of the city’s new fashion week to offer customers denim embroidery repair workshops with textile experts.

Fenwick Centre, where CWC will take place from 26-30 September (image courtesy of The British Fashion Council)

Newcastle will celebrate the conclusion of the month in its historic Fenwick Centre, where fifth generation family-owned brand Barbour will be in discussion with Paul Toner on 27 September.

The neighbouring Eldon Square Centre will also hold an interactive showcase of the ‘Future of Fashion’ on the same weekend, allowing the public to catch a glimpse of the innovations and technologies reshaping the industry. Visitors will be able to design their own avatar’s outfit on gaming platforms such as Roblox, watch holographic catwalks, and attend workshops and discussions by experts in the field. For the shoe obsessed, there will also be a Terry De Havilland pop-up this month – a chance to grab a pair of boots from the “Rock N Roll Cobbler of the 1970s”.

As well as the usual London Fashion Week, the celebrations will also continue in the capital, featuring promotional deals and special displays from iconic brands including Vivienne Westwood, Barbour, and Selfridges.

Dylon will run an immersive ‘Refresh and Renew Laundrette’ pop-up from 18-21 September, helping customers “embrace sustainable fashion”. Customers are also invited to book a styling session with Victoria Lee, Dylon’s Director of Fashion, to receive a complimentary scarf – proving that freebies aren’t just for the influencers.

Over in the Barbican, meanwhile, dirty old clothes are celebrated for their aesthetic in an exhibition entitled, ‘Dirty Looks’, which will explore how dirt and decay have been used by designers to defy beauty standards. The Exhibition opens 25 September and will continue until January next year.

The BFC’s ambitious drive to celebrate the creativity of British fashion coincides with the Government’s announcement that, by 2035, it means to catapult the British fashion sector to £31 billion. The move recognises UK fashion’s power not only as a creative powerhouse but an economic one too. The mission of CWC reflects this spirit; a focus on a diverse spectrum of places, interests, and people within the sector will mean that many more will reap the rich rewards that fashion has to offer.