IMG announced last week that government tourism organisation Destination NSW, a longstanding partner of AFW, will take over from Afterpay as titular sponsor of the next event, taking place in May 2024, with the support of the New South Wales Government. It was hanging in the balance, but with this new deal, AFW will once again be able to waive designer fees.
London Fashion Week has had a lot of partners over the years, including Canon, Clearpay, Diet Coke, Etihad Airways, Evening Standard, Lavazza, Mac, Maybelline, Mercedes, Sunglasses Hut, Swatch, hotel The Mayfair, Toni & Guy, Topshop and Vodafone. Most recently, LFW partnered with Chambord, FabriX, Getty, hotel The Londoner and whisky brand Royal Salute to deliver SS24.
“Multi-year partnerships have the greatest success and strongest impact because the longevity allows the collaboration to grow and evolve according to our own strategy for LFW, consumer habits and the partner’s objectives,” says BFC CEO Caroline Rush. “Change and innovation is a constant and this is also true for brands who align with LFW. We understand why strategies change, and we evolve to be a part of these journeys.”
Car sponsors shift gears
Over the last decade, automotive companies were the main sponsors of fashion weeks across the globe. However, their goals are now shifting away from chauffeuring or whole-event sponsorship to focus on emerging talent.
As part of its sponsorship, Bentley chauffeured guests to Supriya Lele’s show, but this wasn’t the central tenet of the partnership. Lele also visited Bentley’s factory in Crewe, UK, and selected upholstery offcuts, which she turned into pieces in her SS24 collection. The collaboration is part of ongoing activity at Bentley to support emerging talents across industries, says Wayne Bruce, chief communications and D&I officer at Bentley Motors.
“Automotive brands have always traditionally had a presence during fashion weeks through chauffeuring, but we were keen to take this a step further this year. We know it’s important to tap into other industries and reach our audiences by being present in their world and other passions,” he says. “Working with a designer with whom we shared mutual design values and principles allowed us to have a more authentic and meaningful presence within the world of fashion. For offcuts from our production to be used to do so is impactful for our brand.” The collaboration was well received, and Bentley would “certainly look” at similar opportunities with the right designers and talents in the future, he adds.