The words “power front row” conjure images of an inscrutable Anna Wintour, but in 2014 there are a lot of globally important front rows she doesn’t sit on. This is the age of the menswear-FROW. Kanye West grabs headlines for Givenchy; Lenny Kravitz gets flashbulbs popping for Saint Laurent; Tinie Tempah Instagrams at Burberry.
The profile of the man-FROW has risen as menswear sales have boomed by 18% in the past five years. We have London Collections: Men now as well as the shows in Paris and Milan. As the shows have become more important, so have the people who attend them. Choosing guests requires “integrity, taste and an element of surprise”, says Nicki Bidder, managing partner of Starworks Group brand management agency.
“Across all markets,” Bidder says, “menswear consumers tend to be less influenced by celebrity endorsement than women - so the curation of a front row can be rooted in a designer’s personal choice of creatives they respect or know, irrespective of celebrity.”
The state of the market also influences the guest list. “If there is an amazing Chinese actor sitting front row, it often indicates where a brand is trying to expand,” says Daniel Marks, director and partner at The Communications Store public relations agency. Using a fashion show to forge relationships with topical names also helps build buzz. (Think Moriarty actor Andrew Scott attending Topman at the peak of Sherlock mania.)
But for Marks, shows must give the right impression to the people in the room, not consumers: “The real opinion formers I want to see at a show are journalists and buyers. That 15 minute experience helps understand what a brand stands for. When you are sitting at a show you want to see peers and colleagues and competitors you admire.”
The power list
Kanye West
Musician, designer and entrepreneur
David Gandy
Britain’s biggest male supermodel – often seen in adverts for Dolce and Gabbana - and sometime underwear designer for Marks & Spencer
Mario Testino
One of the world’s most successful fashion photographers
Tinie Tempah
Musician, ambassador for London Collections: Men
Bobby Gillespe
Primal Scream singer, husband of stylist Katy England, one-time Marc Jacobs model
G-Dragon
South Korean musician and designer
Chen Kun
Chinese actor and singer
Lenny Kravitz
Singer, actor and trendsetter
Jourdan Dunn
Outspoken British model, face of Maybelline and TV show host
Tim Blanks
Fashion journalist and main reviewer for style.com; CDFA’s 2013 media award winner
Carine Roitfeld
Editor and stylist, founder of CR Fashion Book
Delphine Arnault
Executive vice president of Louis Vuitton, founder of the LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize
Francois-Henri Pinault
CEO of Kering which owns Gucci, Stella McCartney and Saint Laurent
Nick Grimshaw
DJ and ambassador for London Collections: Men
Toby Bateman
Fashion director of Mr Porter
