An award-winning eco-campaigner, an era-defining activist and multiple world-renowned designers: London fashion week men’s takes place this weekend and brings with it a heady mix of budding and established talent.

Attracting attention will be the leaders of the new vanguard of brands blazing a trail including Craig Green, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Liam Hodges, Edward Crutchley, A-Cold-Wall and Martine Rose. They are joined by high-profile fashion houses Iceberg, E.Tautz, Chalayan and Alexander McQueen – the latter a new addition to the regular schedule – as well as a crop of designers breaking with convention such as Art School, Stefan Cooke, Paria/Farzaneh and Xander Zhou.

A-Cold-Wall’s show in January. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/PA

Proving that the UK remains fertile ground for the freshest of fashion talent, the incubator Fashion East will once again showcase the work of three emerging talents. This season, its ones to watch are Mowalola, Robyn Lynch and Saul Nash. Notable absentees include Kent & Curwen – David Beckham’s brand – and the award-winning Cottweiler, which has opted for an online presentation instead of a show.

“It’s a strong season with amazing names,” says Dylan Jones, chair of the British Fashion Council and editor-in-chief of GQ. “London seems to be the only fashion capital of the world regenerating itself on a regular basis. It’s always had an innate ability to produce creative people, whether it’s in music, art or fashion design.”

The busyness of the schedule is rivalled by only Paris, with this summer’s New York and Milan events struggling to secure back-to-back highlights. It lands in London as new figures reveal that the UK menswear market is estimated to have grown by 3.5% since 2017. In order to maintain momentum, Jones says that it’s imperative to surprise people. “Consumers are curious – we all want the new, the fresh, the modern.”

The Duchess of Cornwall (centre) with models after presenting designer Bethany Williams (centre left) with the Queen Elizabeth II award for design. Photograph: Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA

The new is currently proving tricky ground to navigate, with an increased focus on sustainability and efforts to curb the insatiable consumption of clothes in particular. It can make for bittersweet appreciation of a showcase designed to present copious amounts of newness. Jones says that “it’s incumbent on the fashion industry to find new ways of engaging with the consumer” and that while menswear – with its focus on functionality – tends to lend itself more naturally to a buy less, buy better model, the responsibility lies at the door of fast fashion and poorly made product.

“Obviously we’re all in the business of selling and commerce – its a transactional industry, but there needs to be a tradeoff,” he says. “In the main [this argument] should be directed at the high street. Fast fashion is terrible, not only for the environment, but for the halo effect it has on the whole of the industry in total. If you look at a lot of the luxury brands, they are making goods to last. Think of a Hermès handbag, you’re not buying a new one every six months. That’s investment buying, which is what menswear has always been about.”

Lena Waithe is in town for an upcycling masterclass. Photograph: Andrew H Walker/Rex/Shutterstock

Presenting their collections this weekend are several designers celebrated for adopting an ethical and considered approach, including Ahluwalia Studio, Samuel Ross and Bethany Williams, who was awarded the Queen Elizabeth award in February for her endeavours. Also joining proceedings will be sustainable designers Christopher Raeburn and Duran Lantinck, who will take part in an upcycling masterclass with producer, actor and activist Lena Waithe.

While LFWM is held in London, the BFC is currently actively incubating talent from around the UK. Three years ago, it launched its Saturday Clubs in collaboration with the Sorrell Foundation. It’s an initiative that aims to give young people aged 14 to 16 the chance to study at a local institution for free. The aim, says Jones, is to give future talent the support and advice needed to be pursue successful careers.

“It’s a version of apprenticeship,” says Jones. “One of the things that’s missing is a vertical line of people getting into our industry. People think about the fashion industry and think you can only be a fashion designer but think about the hundreds of different jobs involved in fashion. From design to manufacturing to content to production, it’s a huge business and it’s always very important to try and encourage young people. A lot of these teenagers don’t leave their borough and its difficult to draw a line between their situations and people in the fashion industry. It’s incumbent on us to do the outreach – we need to go into these communities to try and help.”