DUBAI: The first digital-only London Fashion Week (LFW) kicked off last week, with tens of thousands of users from all points of the globe logging on to view fashion shows, presentations, workshops and Zoom after-parties from an array of different designers, including Egyptian accessories label Sabry Marouf and Syrian couturier Nabil Nayal. With catwalk shows off the agenda, Nayal presented his tenth collection, entitled “Chapter X: The Archives in Blue” by way of a new fashion film – available via londonfashionweek.co.uk – featuring unseen footage. The four-minute-long video, which was shot in collaboration with Revlon Professional UK prior to the pandemic, took a look back at his archives and signature hero pieces filtered through a blue lens. As for the collection, the offering is punctuated with Nayal’s dramatic, architectural silhouettes, which gained the attention of the late Karl Lagerfeld who exclaimed “I love it! I love it! I love it!” upon discovering the London-based designer at a past edition of the LVMH Prize. These classic shirts beloved by Lagerfeld have been reworked for Fall 2020 in a color palette of sky and royal blue. The collection is also peppered with hand-smocked dresses, crisp shirts with pleated necklines and diaphanous organza and organdie jackets and skirts. A workshop between Nayal and fashion journalist Sarah Mower on the importance of education in the industry was also a most-watched event. Meanwhile, Egyptian accessories label Sabry Marouf led by designer duo Ahmed Sabry and Daki Marouf shared a preview of their Fall 2020 collection “Origins” on LFW’s digital platform. The range of clutches and minaudières sculpted out of solid walnut wood and meticulously hand-gilded in 22 karat gold leaf are on display via a digital showroom hosted on London Fashion Week’s official website. Speaking of the collection, the designers reveal that “a great deal of care and collaboration” went into the making of the six pieces. “In line with our journey into sustainable development and ethical trade, we took the decision to scale things down; By choosing to work only with independent artists, artisans, family-run workshops and small businesses,” said the London-based brand via a press release. “The pieces are made using non-toxic manufacturing techniques from natural, sustainably sourced materials. And we specifically designed them to be produced in limited numbers. We are hoping that in taking these first steps, we are contributing to a slower fashion that promotes craftsmanship and innovation while reducing the strain on our planet.” LFW’s move to digital-only was forced by restrictions brought in to slow the spread of the coronavirus.