London menswear: Tom Ford’s luxury tailoring and British star power

Men's fashion week season kicks off Monday in the UK with three days of runway shows, parties and presentations in London.

The fashion calendar starts up again with three days of unbridled menswear mayhem all set in the city that gave the world its famous Savile Row tailoring.

Show highlights

Monday

Topman Design - the famous London shop's homegrown 'Design' label has blossomed under the direction of Gordon Richardson. Having democratized fashion over the last decade, Topman injects some premium perks in this collection, which is sold in high-end boutiques around the world.

Meadham Kirchhoff - Anglo-French duo Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff have been 'ones-to-watch' ever since they won an Emerging Talent Award at the 2010 British Fashion Awards. With a successful 2011 Topshop collaboration under their belt, they are expected to start hitting the heights in 2013.

Richard Nicoll - Known for his minimal and sporty wear, the London-born, St Martins-trained designer is a favorite with female stars like Kate Bosworth and Florence Welch, but also has a dedicated menswear following.

Tuesday

Burberry - the current megastar brand of UK fashion, and one of the country's most global style signifiers, Burberry kicks off Tuesday morning at the London Collections: Men with a menswear feast. Expect plenty of global star power and a Brit-icon front row hand-picked by creative director Christopher Bailey.

Alexander McQueen - after the eponymous designer's sad death in 2010, a void was left at the heart of British fashion. McQueen's namesake label has nonetheless gone from strength to strength, and creative director Sarah Burton has become a global name ever since designing Kate Middleton's wedding dress back in 2011.

Vivienne Westwood - the grande dame of British style, Vivienne Westwood will be showing her menswear at a location in the city's West End.

Wednesday

Tom Ford - American designer and film director Tom Ford resides in London with his partner and young son and has chosen the UK capital to show his latest menswear collection. Ford's trademark wide Italian lapels on the suiting and some luxurious fabrics are sure to feature.

E Tautz - The venerable British institution has been recently reenergized by Norton & Sons owner Patrick Grant. Expect classic British tailoring with some colorful twists.

Christopher Kane - recently linked with the top-job at Balenciaga (which eventually went to NYC wunderkind Alexander Wang), the young Scot has had a number of exciting seasons, and is expected to continue with the global expansion of his brand in 2013.

#Don't Miss

Shows by Hackett London and Chinese hotshot Xander Zhou will also be livestreamed on the London Collections site.

Parties

Tommy Hilfiger and Esquire magazine will be throwing an exclusive party on Monday night; on Tuesday evening Jonathan Saunders and Dutch style mag Fantastic Man will be holding fort at the Old Selfridges Hotel, and on the final day of festivities Sir Paul Smith, rapper Tinie Tempah & GQ editor Dylan Jones will be hosting a private dinner on Wedsnesday night.