Francesca Lake Makes Runway Debut at London Fashion Week with Wake the Town
On the opening morning of London Fashion Week, Francesca Lake unveiled her inaugural runway collection, titled Wake the Town, which reflects her Jamaican roots through the use of crinolines, feathered tricorn hats, white lace, snake-patterned leather, and baroque denim. The name of the collection is inspired by a Jamaican toasting song and the joyful celebrations at funerals. Highlights included sculptural chiffon, a white jacket for men adorned with doily crochet, and a veiled figure in a black gown. Lake, a graduate of Central Saint Martins, emphasized her “neo-Caribbean perspective,” drawing inspiration from figures like Marcus Garvey and the 18th-century Jamaican militia, while critiquing simplistic portrayals of Jamaica.
Key facts
- Francesca Lake presented her debut runway collection, Wake the Town, on the first morning of London Fashion Week.
- The collection merged crinolines, towering feathered tricornes, white lace, widow’s weeds, snake-printed leathers, pearl corsetry, and baroque-patterned denim.
- The title references a Jamaican toasting song, 'Wake the town and tell the people,' and the Jamaican funeral wake as a celebration of life.
- A crinolined woman in white held a white-painted bunch of bananas like a parasol, inspired by a 1919 postcard of women market traders in Kingston.
- Lake cited references to Marcus Garvey and the 18th-century militia in Jamaica.
- Lake graduated from Central Saint Martin’s MA and holds a Bachelor’s degree in cultural studies from the University of the West Indies.
- Her 2023 graduation collection was titled Church and Dancehall.
- An exhibition of Lake’s poetry surrounded the runway.
Entities
Artists
- Francesca Lake
- Marcus Garvey
Institutions
- Central Saint Martin’s
- University of the West Indies
- London Fashion Week
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Kingston
- Jamaica