The British Fashion Council Moves the Conversation Beyond the Capital

In a move that feels as overdue as it is inspired, the British Fashion Council is throwing open the doors to fashion’s inner sanctum and taking the conversation beyond the postcode of W1. This September, the City Wide Celebration returns — not simply as a footnote to Fashion Week, but as a headline act in its own right. Think of it as fashion’s version of a nationwide tour, with culture, conversation and community stitched into every seam.

The concept is simple, but sharp: connect the dots between the runway and the real world, and do it in the places that often get left out of the London-centric spotlight. From the bold streets of Liverpool to the creative hum of Manchester, the British Fashion Council is inviting the public to take a front-row seat in a dialogue usually reserved for fashion’s inner circle.

This year’s showstopper? AT HOME WITH — a nationwide talk series presented by 1664 Blanc, London Fashion Week’s Principal Partner and a brand making quiet, confident moves to democratise the industry. This isn’t just about glossy panels and photo ops. It’s about returning to where stories begin: in the homes, cities, and communities that shape the designers behind the labels.

The line-up reads like a roll call of modern British fashion’s most vital voices. S.S. Daley, Patrick McDowell, Matty Bovan, Nadine Merabi, Kazna Asker, Talia Byre, The Winter House, and, with a distinctly North Eastern flair, the ever-iconic Barbour. Each name brings with it a different postcode, a different rhythm, a different definition of Britishness. These aren’t just designers—they’re cultural cartographers, mapping identity through silhouette and stitch.

In Liverpool, the architectural drama of the docks sets the stage for a creative exchange between S.S. Daley, McDowell and Talia Byre. In Manchester, the unapologetic glamour of Nadine Merabi meets the rebellious energy of Kazna Asker and Matty Bovan. Newcastle, ever stoic and stylish, plays host to Barbour, moderated by 10 Magazine’s Paul Toner—proof that fashion's heartbeat echoes far louder than the London catwalks alone.

London itself gets its say, of course. 180 The Strand will see the capital’s own voices take centre stage, with the likes of Labrum and Aaron Esh (line-up TBC) tackling themes at the intersection of innovation, heritage, and identity.

What makes AT HOME WITH more than just a travelling talk series is its context. It forms part of a larger vision set out by new BFC CEO Laura Weir, whose mission to decentralise fashion in the UK is beginning to feel less like a mandate and more like a movement. When paired with the forthcoming Fashion Assembly — a nationwide education initiative spearheaded by BFC Ambassador Sarah Mower — the message is clear: the future of British fashion is not only diverse in look, but in location.

And while legacy institutions often struggle to keep pace with cultural shifts, here the BFC seems to be genuinely listening. This is not fashion as echo chamber — it's fashion in conversation. A conversation that asks what it means to be British now. What it means to create in the shadow of both heritage and upheaval. And what it means when designers return to where it all began.

The full City Wide Celebration schedule is still under wraps — expect more names, more places, and more intersections of style and substance. But if this initiative signals anything, it’s that the best-dressed voices in Britain are no longer found exclusively within the M25.

Tickets for AT HOME WITH are available now. The cities are ready. The conversation is open.