The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 42

21.09.01 1 9 Short Oversubscribed Hamnett T-shirt London Fashion Week's most talked about garment didn't appear on any catwalk. In the light of events in the US, design doyenne Katharine Hamnett (right) cancelled her show and printed a batch of slogan T-shirts in record time. Eighteen years ago Hamnett masterminded one of the sharpest fashion photo-ops of all time, when she wore a 58 Don't Want Pershing T-shirt to meet Margaret Thatcher at 1 0 Downing Street. This time the T-shirts bear the messages Women against War and Life is Sacred. Jess Cartner-IWorley T-shirt, 25, 1 5 of which goes to the Afghan Refugee Appeal.

To order, call 020-7354 4400 Overheard "Front row bloat" Unfamiliar feeling caused by overeating during fashion week, thanks to the trend for freebie snacks on VIP seats DJ-ing outfit Lemon Jelly. Called Soft Rock, the track was sent out to the select few earlierthis year on blue vinyl packaged in the back pocket of a pair of jeans. It has now been heard at Luella in New York (selected by Steve Mackie of Pulp, the boyfriend of stylist Katie Grand) and Margaret Howell in London among others. We love it, but we're worried. Part of the tune's allure is the fact that it's so hard to come by (there's a copy on eBay at the moment going for 34).

Designers obviously have it in their shows for the exclusivity, but if it's played any more, it'll become ubiquitous and spoil the fun for everyone who managed to get hold of an original. Our suggestion go truly obtuse and play Atomic Kitten instead. CP Overexposed Chicago You think the Strokes made fashion's favourite record of the year? Get back behind the velvet rope. Aside from Missy Elliot bootlegs, the most played song at the springsummer shows has been an ultra-rare remix of a tune by Chicago (below). The track, which takes the vocals from If You Leave Me Now (No1 in 1 976 ask your parents) and puts them over a blissful beat, was mixed by London-based York before setting up his own label.

With a trademark look focussing on spare, sexy shapes spaghetti strap slip dresses, long bandeau gowns -Kinloch is set to become a favourite among those who like their avant-garde fashion without the gimmicks. Autumn's astutely edited crop of modern little black dresses are adorned with feathers and Chantilly lace; for summer, Kinloch spreads his wings with a collection inspired by "South America meets Key pieces include slim satin trousers, crossover lace blouses, chiffon-edged dresses and backless camisoles, in shades of coffee, tangerine and scarlet thank fully, the little black dresses are still there. Looking fashionable has never been so easy. JCM Pretend you know ail about Empty seats there has been poor attendance at London shows (above). Left, three outfits from Marc Jacobs's stunning collection Morrow.

Audiences are focused on the quality of the work rather than searching for the next subject of hype, and PRs are finally disproving forever the lie that they are inhuman. Off the record, many are questioning their old business practices, and all of them are worried about their staff. If the industry has to downsize, jobs will inevitably have to go. Milan's fashion week is set to be sombre, with most parties and events cancelled in respect for those still missing in the tragedy. Paris, the final city to host shows, will become the focus of the season even more than before.

The French schedule was already overcrowded, with the first collections from Stella McCartney's own label and Phoebe Philo atChloe, and Paris debuts by Alexander McQueen's own label, Hussein Chalayan and Helmut Lang. Now names such as Clements Ribeiro are trying to find a place on the itinerary after the cancellation of its planned show in London this week. They will all become part of a crowded week that could prove to be the swansong of a certain approach to fashion. Many believe that the shows will never quite be the same again. A full report on London Fashion Week will appear in G2on Monday.

Richard Kinloch For once, London Fashion Week's newest New Big Thing makes clothes as wearable as they are original. Richard Kinloch is fashion's darling du jour, with a streamlined collection-ette of seven black dresses just arrived in London's prestigiously hip Yasmin Cho boutique, and a delectable first catwalk show presented yesterday under the auspices of off-schedule hipsters Fashion East. The official schedule has long been only half the LFW story.Every season, champions of the underdog Fashion East have the fash pack making a long trek east, yesterday's show was at Old Billingsgate fish market. Kinloch, 35, is a Central St Martins graduate who worked for Yves Saint Laurent haute couture in Paris and for Gap in New While the bigger powers in the industry try to resolve how to deal with the situation, London can only carry on in earnest. Thankfully, the shows have seen none of the usual theatrics, which would have been in bad taste.

New classics appears to be the mood, whether at established brands like Margaret Howell or at upstart labels like Blaak and Hamish.