London Fashion Week has always been known as the renegade cousin of the “core four” cities, with a scrappier fashion scene that often prizes creative genius above commercial viability (although the most successful brands, it has to be said, manage to marry both). After the news cycle of the past few years, however, it’s an understatement to say it’s been a challenging era for the industry.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. The British Fashion Council’s new CEO, Laura Weir, is feeling hopeful about the future, believing in the capital’s ability to rebound. “For so long we’ve been stuck in the doldrums of post-Brexit, post-COVID, and there’s no diminishing that as the painful time it’s been. But now it’s about the next era, rebuilding British fashion and the ecosystem that exists here to a point where it garners the respect it deserves,” Weir said in an interview with WWD.
And there’s plenty on the schedule to draw the world’s eye, once again, to London, with sophomore collections, award-winning talent and anniversaries to celebrate over five jam-packed days of fashion featuring 157 designers, 50 catwalk shows and 74 events.
Mithridate AW25
Mithridate returns for its second collection by Daniel Fletcher, the menswear designer who created one of last season’s most delightful collections (many a fashion editor bookmarked its preppy knits, sequinned shifts and knee-length skirts for AW25). With fans including Olivia Dean, Will Sharpe and Nicola Coughlan, it could very well be a celeb-packed front row, too.
Munroe Bergdorf and Patrick McDowell
In May, Patrick McDowell was presented with the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, an honour that has previously been bestowed on brands including SS Daley, Labrum London, Saul Nash and Ahluwalia. Taking the first slot on Saturday, McDowell’s collection promises to be worth setting your alarm for.
Olly Shinder AW25
Fashion East is the capital’s indefatigable talent incubator that has launched the careers of countless designers, continuing to be a conveyor belt of future creative directors that fuels the global fashion industry. This year, it’s celebrating its 25th birthday with a roster of free panel talks, screenings and exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, as well as a catwalk show comprising its current designers: Nuba, Jacek Gleba and Mayhew. Other notable birthdays include Roksanda, that's turning 20, and Erdem, that is similarly leaving its teenage years behind.
Loved by Charli XCX, Kylie Jenner, Cate Blanchett and Dua Lipa, Dilara Findikoglu has carved out a niche for herself as the most weird and wonderful designer to show in London (seriously, people will queue outside in the rain for a standing ticket). For SS26, as reported in WWD, she’s taking a brand known for its museum-worthy pieces into new territory, “introducing handbags, presenting more ready-to-wear looks and amping up wholesale and direct-to-consumer operations.”
Dilara Findikoglu AW25
Newcomers to the schedule include several brands that have received backing from the BFC's NEWGEN, including Oscar Ouyang, the buzzy knitwear designer whose clothes are stocked at Dover Street Market, as well as Octi, the jewellery brand that prides itself on being "made in London". E.W.USIE will also be appearing in the presentation space (and already has a fan in Emma Corrin).
And finally, to Nanushka. The Budapest-based label is making a guest-star appearance on the schedule. As Sandra Sándor, its founder and creative director, told Fashion United: “London holds a special place in my heart and has been instrumental in my personal growth and professional journey. Studying here provided the foundation and laid the first stones for building Nanushka 20 years ago. It’s a true honour to not only have our flagship store in London, but also to present a runway show in such a vibrant city this season.”
Vibrant is the word for London, with an industry that prides itself on welcoming designers around the world to live, work and create in the capital. We can't wait to see what they deliver this season.
