London Fashion Week returned to the capital last week and, dare I say, it appears that it may have finally rediscovered its buzz. Following years of cancellations and fairly somber affairs, this season featured big moments from the likes of JW Anderson and Burberry, a standout by Labrum, and a clear show stealer from Simone Rocha, adding a refreshed sense of optimism and excitement to the questionably brisk British summer air.
This season’s event, which officially kicked off on September 15, felt like a London Fashion Week of old. The first day saw big presentations from the likes of Stefan Cooke with a nautical-themed show and Priya Ahluwalia with a tribute to African heritage, although it was Chopova Lowena, the rebellious label founded by Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons, that took the plaudits with their experimental grunge interpretation of skate park chic.
Jonathan Anderson’s eponymous label headlined day two with a mid-morning lesson centered around the art of play. The designer, who sent out Scola color clay invites to guests prior to the show, showcased a collection typical of JW Anderson, with garments literally fresh off a potter's wheel.
Other stand out moments from day two came with the return of Skepta's Mains label after a four-year hiatus and Foday Dumbuya’s Labrum, which presented an unexpected adidas collaboration. Labrum, which has become renowned for its ability to fuse British tailoring with West African design, unveiled a Nomoli-inspired take on the Samba silhouette and a textured iteration of the chunky Stan Smith adiFOM Mule.
Holzweiler took to the London catwalk for the first time on Sunday to present a nomadic Norwegian way of life. The label, which had previously only ever shown at Copenhagen Fashion Week, presented both menswear and womenswear silhouettes inside the city’s Camley Street National Park, said to be inspired by “our daily atmosphere” and “the body’s natural movement,” according to the brand.
It was Simone Rocha, though, who stole the show on September 17. The Irish designer — who has since been revealed as the next guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture — presented myriad collaborative Crocs as a part of her SS24 collection, which immediately began doing the rounds online.
Rocha’s take on the Croc saw it dripped with massive pearls and other shiny jewel Jibbitz filling the ventilation holes. There was also room for a new look sneaker-clog hybrid that featured a sneaker-esque sole and clog fixings as well as a bungee lace system and a pull tab on the heel.
Despite all that came before it, two of London Fashion Week’s most highly-anticipated shows in Aaron Esh and Burberry were saved until last.
Esh, who earlier this year was nominated for the coveted LVMH Prize, was making his official runway debut in the south of the capital, while Burberry, arguably the headline act of the entire week, took over Highbury Fields with a giant tartan tent.
Beneath the tartan was yet another example of Daniel Lee’s Burberry agenda to, as he says, take the house back to its roots. This season, that meant inviting some of the UK’s most iconic talent to sit front row (Kano, Mo Farah, Rachel Weisz, Barry Keoghan, Skepta, Bukayo Saka) and gifting attendees hot water bottles, Burberry tea, and blue roses. The show, which was Lee’s second as Burberry’s creative director, upped the ante of an array of house classics including the iconic trench, which came with drop waists and belts at the hip.
Though Burberry’s show didn’t begin until 4pm on September 18, its presence had been felt around the capital since day one, thanks to takeovers of Norman’s Cafe and Bond Street tube station. The takeovers saw the house decorate both locations in archetypal Burberry patterns and motifs and deliver quintessentially British plates equestrian knight-adorned crockery.
Sure, London Fashion Week might not have the plethora of household names that its Parisian and Milanese counterparts currently boast, or anywhere near the same budget, but thanks to the excitement around the capital this season, it certainly felt like the event finally took a big step in the right direction.
