There was an Olympics flavour to the opening of London Fashion Week, with athletes modelling clothes set to be on trend during next year’s Games. As to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the British Fashion Councils (BFC) most prestigious and renowned fashion designers collaborated with the leading visual artists on specially commissioned one-off works of art.

With the fashion world gearing up for the London 2012 Olympics as models they wore outfits which will be a la mode during the Games next year. British athletes, who were dressed to the nines in clothes by British designers, helped in showcasing the spring-summer 2012 collections.

Amy Williams, skeleton medallist, said she was delighted to swap her tracksuit for a designer outfit for the day.

She said: "It is amazing to have all these British designers and British athletes here trying to kick it off for London 2012. I do love fashion. As an athlete you live in your tracksuits, and it is lovely to put on British designers. I am wearing Holly Fulton."

Heather Fell, modern pentathlete, who donned a brightly coloured Matthew Williamson dress, added: "It is great that British fashion is getting involved with London 2012. The connection between 2012 and fashion is very cool and it is another great sphere to the Olympics." Created and managed by the British Fashion Council / Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation in collaboration with the Mayor of London, this exciting new project will be a highlight of the London 2012 Festival, a UK festival which runs from 21st June to 9 September next year and is the culmination of the four year Cultural Olympiad. The 2012 Commissions will bring together pairs of leading artists and fashion designers who will work together across different artistic mediums.

Leading creative figures will bring the Olympic and Paralympic values to life through a project that will salute the longstanding connection between fashion and the visual arts and show that when great minds collide, amazing things happen.

The pieces will be unveiled in June 2012 at a Gala event in central London.  They will then be exhibited to the public throughout the London 2012 Festival period.  Further details will be announced by LOCOG in autumn 2011.

Fashion 2012 is hoping to capitalise on this trend, particularly as global attention focuses on London in the run up to the Olympics.