Sharjah24 - Reuters: From an all-black opening look to models holding a picture of Queen Elizabeth, London Fashion Week began with tributes to the late monarch as fashionistas paid their respects during the period of national mourning.

Organisers announced last week that London Fashion Week would go ahead as a "business-to-business event" while observing royal protocol and holding tributes for the 96-year-old queen who died on Sept. 8.

Parties have been postponed and Monday's shows, the day of the queen's state funeral, have been rescheduled.

While bigger brands such as Burberry and Raf Simons, among the most-anticipated highlights this season, pulled out of the Sept 16-20 event, for smaller labels doing so is tricker.

"So the shows and presentations, which is the business to business part, where the designers show their collections to international media, retailers, stylists... (is) part of a global fashion calendar. It can't be moved," Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, told Reuters.

"London is a platform for incredible creative businesses, many independent businesses and they've already committed spend. So we need to make sure that we're supporting them to be able to continue."