Pinterest is partnering with British couturier Claudia Smith for her debut BEYOND R.E.G.A.R.D. show at London Fashion Week. The collaboration will create a phone-free front row designed to put the focus firmly on the clothes.
London Fashion Week’s front row is usually a sea of smartphones. This September, Claudia Smith and Pinterest are trying something different.
On 20 September 2026, Pinterest will partner with Claudia Smith London for the designer’s debut BEYOND R.E.G.A.R.D. couture show at the British Museum.
As part of the collaboration, front-row guests will put their phones away during the runway presentation.
The idea is simple: experience the collection in the room first, rather than through a screen.
A phone-free front row at London Fashion Week
Front-row guests will place their phones inside specially designed Pinterest x Claudia Smith crossbody bags during the show.
The hand-beaded bags come in a gemstone-inspired ruby red. Their design reflects the wider world of the BEYOND R.E.G.A.R.D. collection.
By putting their phones away, guests can concentrate on the craftsmanship, movement and details of each couture piece.
For the finale, guests can take their phones back out. Afterwards, they can take the bags home as keepsakes.
The concept comes at a time when social media increasingly shapes the fashion show experience. Images and videos can now reach millions of people within seconds of a model appearing on the runway.
For Claudia Smith, removing that distraction puts the clothes back at the centre of the experience.
“Couture deserves to be experienced with presence. Every detail, from the construction and handwork to the movement of a garment, is created to be seen and felt in the moment,” says Claudia Smith.
“Working with Pinterest to create a phone-free front row allows our guests to give their full attention to the artistry before them.”
Claudia Smith makes her couture debut
The show also marks a major moment for Claudia Smith London. BEYOND R.E.G.A.R.D. will formally launch the couture house and introduce its first collection.
According to the brand, Smith will become the first Black British female couturier to stage a solo couture show at the British Museum.
Smith has already received support from leading names in fashion. They include Nick Knight, Edward Enninful and Naomi Campbell.
For her debut collection, the designer has turned to an unusual piece of jewellery history for inspiration.
What is BEYOND R.E.G.A.R.D.?
The BEYOND R.E.G.A.R.D. collection draws inspiration from the historic Alphabet of Gems.
This jewellery tradition used gemstones to spell out words, names and secret messages. Each stone represented a letter through the first letter of its name.
“REGARD” became one of the best-known combinations. It uses Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby and Diamond.
Smith takes this coded language beyond jewellery and translates it into couture.
The designer uses the colours, symbolism and emotional associations of gemstones to inform the collection.
Each one-of-a-kind garment combines traditional couture techniques with sculptural forms. The collection features embroidery, crystal work, hand-beading and intricate textile craftsmanship.
As a result, gemstones become more than decoration. They provide a starting point for colour, silhouette and storytelling.
From Pinterest board to British Museum runway
Pinterest’s involvement goes beyond the phone-free front row.
Ahead of London Fashion Week, Smith has curated a Beyond R.E.G.A.R.D. Couture in the Making Pinterest board.
The board brings together references, textures and visual ideas behind the collection.
After the show, Smith and Pinterest will add official runway photography. The board will then document the journey from digital moodboard to finished couture.
It offers a clear example of Pinterest’s role in modern fashion. People discover and collect ideas online before turning that inspiration into something physical.
In this case, the final destination is a couture runway at the British Museum.
“Claudia Smith used Pinterest to shape a range rooted in craftsmanship, creativity and extraordinary attention to detail, which made this a natural partnership for us,” says Claudine Cheever, Chief Marketing Officer at Pinterest.
“Together, we wanted to create a runway experience that reflects what Pinterest does best: turning inspiration discovered online into something meaningful in the real world.”
Putting the clothes back in focus
The phone-free experiment also raises a wider question about the modern fashion show.
Runway collections now travel around the world almost instantly through social media. That reach has opened fashion up to a much larger audience.
However, it has also changed what happens inside the room.
Guests often watch the runway through their phones while simultaneously filming or photographing each look.
Pinterest and Claudia Smith are not trying to remove the digital element altogether. Instead, they want to create a short separation between experiencing the collection and sharing it.
There is a neat symmetry to the idea.
BEYOND R.E.G.A.R.D. starts with inspiration gathered online. Smith then transforms those ideas through physical craftsmanship before the finished collection returns to the digital world.
For a couture collection built around detail, symbolism and emotion, the phone-free approach feels particularly fitting.
Quick Look
- What: Claudia Smith London’s debut BEYOND R.E.G.A.R.D. couture show
- When: 20 September 2026
- Where: The British Museum, London
- Partner: Pinterest
- Collection inspiration: The historic Alphabet of Gems
- Front row: Guests will place their phones inside Pinterest x Claudia Smith crossbody bags during the show
