London Fashion Week (LFW) has had a glow-up this season. With the return of Alexander McQueen and Mulberry, which saw Christopher Kane making his highly anticipated debut for the heritage brand, the schedule was already setting tails wagging before proceedings began. Speaking of tails wagging, special mention to the two adorable dogs walking down the runway at Chopova Lowena. One was sporting a neon green puffer jacket. The other wore sunglasses.
But back to human sartorial matters. Designers set the tone for the warmer climes with eclectic displays encompassing everything from salon-style runways (Harris Reed) and courthouse spectacles (Simone Rocha) to intimate film screenings (Emilia Wickstead) and even an afternoon show held outside the Barbican that had City of London pupils peering out of their windows; thank you, Susan Fang.
There were plenty of famous faces injecting excitement, too, with Joan Collins taking a front row seat at M&S, while Ruth Wilson made an appearance at Erdem, and Paapa Essiedu was spotted at Ahluwalia.
Of course, the biannual affair is ultimately about trends: which ones we’re loving and which we’ll be firmly leaving behind in the previous season. A few stood out, both on and off the runway. Here’s what you need to know to get set for spring/summer 2027.
Scarlet fever
It’s fashion’s favourite colour for a reason. This season, pops of red were everywhere, from a standout half-zip crimson jumper at M&S to pops of cherry prints across Ahluwalia’s collection. At Simone Rocha, models’ lips were stained with scarlet, while bone white gowns were decorated with appliqué red roses. Another standout look came by way of a vibrant apple red funnel neck bomber jacket, tapping into one of the most popular silhouettes of the season.
Loud lingerie
There were endless nods to our underwear this season, with the usual contenders paying homage to corsetry – think outsized wings on the neckline at Harris Reed and boned bodices reimagined as entire dresses at Susan Fang. But there were plenty of bonus allusions, too, like at Simone Rocha, who served up a set of deconstructed slip dresses as well as slinky vest tops that came complete with garters primed for stockings.
Meanwhile, Sinead Gorey hosted a party in the place of a fashion show, with the former strip club setting providing a sultry tone for a presentation that saw every lingerie-inspired look accompanied by welts, while knickers hanging off photo frames and free vibrators being handed out on arrival (the party was hosted in collaboration with Ann Summers). The mood was certainly not one of discretion.
Square-toed or bust
Shoes matter for anyone on the front row of a fashion show. Not just because of how visible your feet will be, but because chances are, the ones on the “frow” are often moving through the LFW schedule at a rapid pace, bouncing around to as many shows as possible.
Heels won’t cut the mustard. So, how to make a flat shoe fashion week-friendly? We’ve seen various iterations over the years, from ballet flats to normcore trainers.
This season, the latest front-row It-shoe came by way of a square-toe, preferably courtesy of a Miista boot (very popular among editors this season) or something wonderfully witchy from Lili Curia. Otherwise, a straightforward patent mule will do. So long as the toe is square rather than pointy, giving your toes plenty of wriggle room to breathe, you’re all set.
Tassels on everything
Usually reserved for 1920s flapper dresses or leather jackets from the Seventies, tassels are being reinvented for spring/summer 2027. The fringing fun began at M&S on Friday, where models strutted down the runway in various tasselled midi skirts. Ahluwalia doubled down on the look, with tassels hanging out from underneath double-breasted blazers and over matching trousers all the way to the floor. This silhouette was replicated on a sportier look, with black tassels swinging over trousers from underneath a zip-up sweatshirt. Alhuwalia also added some texture to its going-out tops, like one royal blue cowl neck blouse that featured a tassel scarf hanging off the back that again draped all the way down to the floor.
Meanwhile, Toga offered something a little more festive, giving its suiting a tassel twist as models’ hands were completely covered by silver tassels popping out from navy blue suits. Those same silver tassels also appeared on the sleeves and shoulders of otherwise humdrum cashmere jumpers, adding a sense of occasion and movement to a standard item of clothing.
No mascara face
Those in the know have officially ditched eye makeup this season. It’s rare to see models on the runway with anything but a subtle slick of eyeliner (either that or you can expect giant doll-like lashes as Chopova Lowena did for their collection), but this season saw the bare-faced look copied by top editors and fashion insiders. It wasn’t as if they were hiding behind sunglasses, either, as the stereotypes may suggest.
This season, the prime beauty statement was sporting entirely bare, clean, dewy faces, maybe with a bit of pink lipstick if anything at all. The goal? To have fresh, wide-awake eyes that show the world you managed to get your eight hours last night, which, by the way, is no small feat during LFW. Power moves indeed.
