London Fashion Week just wrapped, but we’re not done talking about it yet. One of the best things about London’s schedule is that it's so packed with small brands and emerging designers amidst the heavy-hitters and high fashion houses, but that does mean it's easy to blink and miss something. Here’s our roundup of what you won’t want to have missed from LFW SS25.
LABRUM hit the back of the net
LABRUM hit up Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium this season from a collection themed about Foday Dumbuya’s relationship with the British football club, seen through his lens given his heritage from Sierra Leone in West Africa. The show was more than just an ode to football, as it actually featured footballers in it, inviting Declan Rice to walk in a signature suit with ribbon-detail fastenings.
AARON ESH became a British icon
Paying tribute to his mentor Katy England in his SS25 collection, AARON ESH is moving into a bigger space within the LFW calendar. The LVMH Prize finalist has been one to watch for a while, but this season feels like his brand evolving into itself, with clean-cut, sleek, and elevated silhouettes on the runway in his now infamously chic style.
KNWLS was a new take on couture
KNWLS’ SS25 moodboard was covered in inspiration from the design duo’s favourite couturiers. Looking to the likes of Madame Grès, Azzedine Alaïa, and John Galliano, KNWLS took the traditional, elegant style of couture and ran with it in a new, contemporary, and more “KNWLS” direction. Reimagining everyday staples like jeans and hoodies into couture pieces, the collection showed how inspiration can transform into anything.
Ancuta Sarca sexed up Crocs
Romanian-born, London-based Ancuta Sarca brought her infamous hybrid footwear to SS25, complete with an office-siren take on the classic Croc. Referencing office culture with a hint of ‘60s optimism is her collection, Sarca revealed sexy interpretations of office wear paired with kitten heels, calf-length boots, and even some reimagined Crocs.
KENT&CURWEN had us schooled
Trench coats, rugby shirts, brogues, and blazers all formed a clique at KENT&CURWEN’s SS25 collection, a fashionable take on the heritage codes of “School”. Packed to the brim with traditional British staples reminiscent of elevated school uniforms, the collection was a lesson in class, style, and how to land a show stopping comeback.
Tolu Coker said “mum’s the word”
At SS25, Tolu Coker looked to the biggest style icon in her life growing up for inspiration: her mum. When we spoke to Tolu Coker last week, ahead of the show, she said that it was rooted in “the notion of luxury being rooted back to heritage,” and that she wanted her audience to “feel welcomed.” Well, considering the vibrancy, fun, and personality in Tolu Coker’s SS25 show, we sure did.
ROKSANDA took on nature
ROKSANDA brought conceptual art to the runway, drawing inspiration from Agnes Denes’ 1982 art piece which was a symbol of nature vs. industrialisation. Imagining a world where humanity and nature co-exist, ROKSANDA SS25 was feminine, fluid, and contemporary, inspired by the landscapes of Roksanda’s rural hometown in Serbia.
MITHRIDATE said wealth is health
Demon Zhang has been bringing East Asian culture to the London Fashion Week schedule via MITHRIDATE, and returned this season with an ode to the rich culture and landscapes of the Chinese province, Yunnan. Blending traditional crafts like tie-dying and ice-dying with contemporary styles, the collection is an homage to the region's tradition of showing wealth through jewellery.
Masha Popova is bringing in the spring
Masha Popova departed from the grungy darkness of her recent PinkPantheress campaign at SS25, instead opting for a lighter colour palette in an ode to the turning of the seasons at Spring time. Titled “Impulse,” the collection was a new take within the designer’s portfolio, although it was still complete with dishevelled hair and bright underwear peeking through.
Karoline Vitto braved the storm
Karoline Vitto returned to LFW this season, after a brief stint in Milan at FW24 aided by Dolce & Gabbana, and she brought with her a storm. Bringing her Brazilian heritage to the runway in familiarly sophisticated style, Vitto’s latest show titled “Underside” was a symbol of women facing the storm head-on, literally and metaphorically.
Sinead Gorey was a teenage dirtbag
This season, Sinead Gorey’s SS25 collection pulled on an experience familiar to many of us: life as a teenage outcast. Staged from a teenage girl’s point of view, Corey explored the concepts of bad fake tan, the wrong shade of lipstick, backcombed hair, and body con dresses. If Sinead Gorey’s SS25 collection were a teenage girl, we know she’d be a blast.
Erdem celebrated queer literature
Erdem turned a different page this season, referencing author Radclyffe Hall’s canonical 1928 lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness in its SS25 collection. In the novel, female protagonist Stephen Gordon gifts her love interest a flower and it was this theme in particular that inspired a lot of the collection, for example seen in the Bloom Bag’s design. The push and pull of gender was also prevalent, seen in the blending of feminine and masculine silhouettes.
Yuhan Wang was a kiss with a fist
Titled “The Rose Fist,” Yuhan Wang’s SS25 collection pulled on a blend of soft feminine and bold gothic aesthetics. Mixing lace and bows with a monochromatic colour scheme and roses and kitten symbols throughout, the collection was girly yet confident, as unapologetic as getting hit by a girl.
Mark Fast made clubwear couture
At SS25, Mark Fast blended the elevated craftsmanship of couture with the innovation of sportswear design, all in an ode to his love of underground music. Reflecting the heavy beats that he used as inspiration, Mark Fast’s collection moved like it was bouncing with the bass, using unique colours and textures to reference the world of music he escapes into.
Ahluwalia invited us into her “Home”
Ahluwalia’s SS25 collection, titled “Home,” asked audiences: “what does home mean to you?” Inviting us to consider her home, seen through the lens of her Indian-Nigerian heritage, the designer’s collection was inspired by old family photographs and memories from both growing up in the UK, and India before that.
LUEDER swapped vaping for chemistry
LUEDER arrived in London for the first time at SS25, swapping its smokey vape presentation at FW24 in Berlin for a collection inspired by mediaeval art forms. As a study into the chemical reactions caused by natural pigmentation and experiments with alchemic reactions, what we saw on the runway was a mediaeval interpretation of modern fashion. Switching from vapes to this is a bold move, and it's one we seriously respect.
Feben tangoed back into LFW
Last season, Feben showed in Milan as part of Dolce & Gabbana’s Supported By initiative, but at SS25 she was back in London with a show called “Reign.” Inspired by deaf Spanish dancer Antonia Singla, the collection was flared, ruched, and vibrant, just like the costumes of a dancer.
Ashley Williams was fuelled by childhood nostalgia
Ashley Williams’ SS25 collection was very demure, very cutesy, very mindful of why she was invited to London Fashion Week. With combs stuck in models' hair, Sailor Moon-inspired dresses, and a childhood nostalgia in the air, Ashley Williams brought every girl's dream fashion show to life, complete with long blonde locks and pink everywhere.
TOGA finally broke its four year hiatus
TOGA returned to the runway this season after a four year hiatus, bringing designer Yasuko Furuta’s artistic designs back to LFW. At SS25, the collection titled “Labor, Order, Humor” took inspiration from art, movies, and literature, exploring the concepts of labour, beauty, and humour in the creation of clothing.
Tod’s hosted the event of LFW
This season, fashion brand Tod’s linked up with designer Rahul Mishra, known for his support of traditional Indian handcrafts, to host a party on the London Fashion Week schedule at its Old Bond Street boutique store. With a star-filled guest list and the opportunity to explore Tod’s collaboration with Rahul Mishra as part of the Tod’s Factory project, it was an unmissable event on LFW’s calendar.
GANT celebrated 75 years strong
GANT was celebrating its 75th anniversary this London Fashion Week, but in place of a birthday party the brand hosted a vintage-inspired pop-up followed by an insightful panel talk of fashion experts. As an ode to the Ivy League style of the American sportswear and lifestyle brand’s heritage, the 75th anniversary pop-up in collaboration with RITA’s brought rugby shirts, varsity jackets, and even six luxury vintage sports cars to London. The pop-up is running til September 22nd. Go check it out at 59 Greek Street in Soho.
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