The lowdown on London Collections: Men

Over 60 menswear designers will show on schedule at London Collections: Men (LC:M) during January 2013. Internationally acclaimed brands Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford will present their mainline menswear collections in London for the first time this January. Heritage British brand Hardy Amies, who will also show their mainline menswear collection in London this January, moved their show from Milan to be part of the action. London Collections: Men launched with an event hosted by David Cameron at 10 Downing Street celebrating the British menswear industry. A dinner hosted by Sir Paul Smith, hip-hop artist Tinie Tempah and Chair of LC: M Dylan Jones, followed by a party hosted by Tom Ford, will close the showcase. Over 45 countries will be represented by international press attending LC:M, alongside buyers from over 17 countries. Mintel estimates the men’s fashion market to have grown by 3.2% to £9.9 billion in 2011. Growth has been fuelled by a rise in the average selling prices of menswear. In addition, the menswear market is anticipated to witness growth of 16% between 2011 and 2016. In 2011, global menswear sales increased an estimated 9 percent to 24 billion euros, or $33.42 billion US versus 22 billion euros, or $29.20 billion, in 2010. Men’s items now represent 50 per cent of the luxury apparel market, helped in part by male consumers in emerging markets, especially Asia, with China a major source of growth. The direct value of the UK fashion industry to the UK economy is £21 billion. Fashion’s wider contribution to the economy in influencing spending in other industries is estimated to stand at over £37 billion. The UK fashion industry is estimated to support 816,000 jobs and is the largest employer of all the creative industries. The sector also provides opportunities to minority groups to a greater extent than most other creative industries.