Izzue view

Today, London; tomorrow, the world. The Hong Kong fashion label makes a capital statement in its bid for global domination

On Feb 19 at the Strand in London, a palpable sense of excitement pervades the pristine blue skies on the final day of London Fashion Week, as I.T Group-owned brand Izzue prepares for its historic moment - to be the first Hong Kong fashion label to stage a solo runway show in the capital. But this is no ordinary fashion morning, as it turns into a fashion mourning. News has spread at 10 am that famed Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has breathed his last and died in Paris. Izzue has inadvertently chosen a prophetic day on which to make a triumphant statement of its own.

Outside, the ubiquitous crowds of voyeurs, bloggers, stylistas, influencers, KOLs (perhaps ironic that Hong Kong's oft-used acronym for "key opinion leaders" also could stand for "Karl Otto Lagerfeld"), the furred and the faux-ed jostle to find focus for the lenses of moment-defining street-snappers. The likes of British singer Lily Allen and fashion designer John Rocha arrive for the Izzue show, as does Hong Kong-born, London-based blogger and writer Susannah Lau aka Susie Bubble.