London Fashion Week: Happy More Ethical Birthday

Now squeezed into five fun fabric filled days, London Fashion Week chose to open wearing its ethical credentials on its many different sleeves. Esthetica is the British Fashion Council's showcase of young eco-friendly designers. Six seasons old, it has been shunted from the periphery to the centre of the fashion frenzy and took to the catwalk on opening day hot on the high heels of Paul Costello and Caroline Charles.

The not so glamorous DEFRA also took the opportunity to launch their drive to bring corporate social responsibility to the fashion industry from top to toe with the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, whose acronym is a little too close to scat, to be glamorous. WIth metaphorical belts tightened this year, the focus is on fashion as a thriving creative industry rather than an obscenely decadent, impossible, frivolous ideal. And as a 25th birthday present, it's a move from the romanesque to the neo-classical: goodbye South Kensington, hello Somerset House.