Paul Costelloe Opens 40-year-old London Fashion Week with Classic Designs

A model presents a creation at the Paul Costelloe catwalk show during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
A model presents a creation at the Paul Costelloe catwalk show during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
TT

Paul Costelloe Opens 40-year-old London Fashion Week with Classic Designs

A model presents a creation at the Paul Costelloe catwalk show during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
A model presents a creation at the Paul Costelloe catwalk show during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

London Fashion Week kicked off on Friday with Irish designer Paul Costelloe championing classic looks and bringing a little bit of nostalgia to the catwalk as the showcase event celebrates its 40th birthday.
The 78-year-old designer, who could not attend the show due to illness, presented a mix of whites, dark greys and plenty of tweeds in his "Once upon a Time" autumn/winter 2024 collection, described as "Where Limerick meets Downtown New York".
Models in white jackets and floaty skirts opened the show. A selection of plaid looks followed, with the color palette then turning darker for tailored tweed skirt suits, belted coats and short feminine dresses, Reuters reported.
For the evening, there were patterned frocks with puffy sleeves.
"This collection expresses my view that classic design still has its place in high fashion," Costelloe said in show notes.
"I have added a personal moment of nostalgia by adding a print based on the street where I once lived. It was a glorious moment to dream and live."
Costelloe's team also shared a note from the designer explaining his absence due to a virus and wishing London Fashion Week a "happy 40th birthday".
This year marks 40 years since the British Fashion Council (BFC) held its first London Fashion Week, which is one of the four big catwalk fixtures alongside New York, Milan and Paris and is best known for its emerging talent and avant-garde trends.
On Thursday night, several London landmarks were lit up green for the occasion and other celebrations are planned for the year.
"Of course, 40 is kind of a coming of age, a maturity and when we look back, I think we reflect on the incredible creativity that has come through London, and London Fashion Week as a platform," BFC Chief Executive Caroline Rush told Reuters.
"It continues to be about youth culture, subcultures, creativity, innovation and really leading where the rest of the fashion industry will no doubt follow."
Costelloe's show was one of more than 40 catwalk presentations this London Fashion Week, which runs until February 20, with the likes of Burberry, Bora Aksu and Mark Fast also on the calendar.



Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
TT

Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Birkin-bag maker Hermes reported a 13% rise in second-quarter sales on Thursday, demonstrating the continued appetite from wealthy shoppers for its luxury handbags, even as less affluent consumers pull back.

Sales at the French luxury group grew to 3.7 billion euros ($4.02 billion), a 13% organic sales rise that strips out currency fluctuations. The figure was in line with analyst expectations, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Operating profit for the first half was 3.1 billion euros, compared to a forecast from consensus provider Visible Alpha for 3.2 billion.

One of the most steady performers in the luxury goods sector -- even as economic conditions worsen -- the French group's results stand out after a string of disappointing earnings updates from peers which have raised investor concern about uncertain prospects for the sector in the coming months.

Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity, and CEO Axel Dumas told reporters the company had seen "no big interruption in trends".

However, he said Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic with aspirational clients, which was impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories.