London Fashion Week Men's on Jermyn Street St James's London

One of the exciting highlights of London Fashion Week Men's has been, for me, the menswear fashion shows put on by St James's, that mecca of menswear in central London. Held in Jermyn Street, which is closed to traffic for the day, the shows are open to members of the public and even those who don't have tickets are able to get a good view from the pavement to the side of the catwalk.

FROW, but not posing for the camera

St James's includes so many excellent menswear brands that it has become a favourite destination for me. From Aquascutum to Turnbull & Asser, there is tailoring, footwear, hats and accessories, much of it with a strong British bent. In the show, I particularly enjoyed the offering from New & Lingwood, a brand I'm getting to know better (see image above). Their silk dressing gown and linen safari-style jacket and flannel cricket trousers were hits with me (below).

New & Lingwood showed a strong collection

The shows illustrate some of the best of British menswear and the interest shown by the many passers-by who crowd around the catwalk suggests that the formula is a successful one. While, as you'd expect, I had reservations about the lack of grey hairs on the catwalk, I enjoyed the show, styled by GQ's Grace Gilfeather, immensely. Many of the surrounding shops held events to entertain and inform visitors, from cocktails to demonstrations of shirt-making and shoe polishing.

This year the Jermyn Street shows were followed by one by Thomas Smedley (who have a store on Jermyn Street) who showed a powerful and very contemporary collection of British-made knitwear for men and women.

The proximity of the catwalk to the thirty or so brands' stores enables consumers to walk a few yards to buy the products that caught their eye in the show. The whole event is a successful formula and one I look forward to seeing develop in years to come.

This sponsored feature is a collaboration with St James's London.