Passion of London Fashion Week SS/25; Know The Themes & Trends
By Rebecca McNelly-Tilford
Fashion week in London finished officially yesterday as all the fashion glitterati make their way to Milan, what did London have to offer? really in the swing, here are some highlights for you of a handful of the shows, and you can start to think about what to wear for next Spring and Summer. See more in Passion of London Fashion Week SS/25; Know The Themes & Trends
If you ever wondered why fashion shows happen, it’s quite simple really. In a 12 to 16-minute presentation /show/ event etc the designer is telling the world, that these are my chosen colours, fabric, styling and overall silhouette. I.e they are telling press buyers and ultimately customers what they are putting forward in their way of fashion ideas for next season. After all the internationally renowned shows in New York, London, Milkand and Paris, journalists and buyers will look at the trends from across the shows to see what they believe we will all want to wear.
London is still the most influential in way of new approaches styles trends but is not about big bucks, but important to see where fashion may well be going in near future seasons. It is the home of new talent and the city that trendsetters look to.
So far we have seen several trends emerge, just from this town. New York played it safe (they often do) but London bought a cornucopia of ideas. There was underwear on show, sheer fabrics, both long and short lengths, lots and lots of dresses, and surface decoration, from big flowers to tiny ones as embellishments to gowns.
There were definitely elements of deconstruction on show, from the big labels to the new smaller ones. From raw edges to garments worn slanted or exaggeratedly low, twisted pocked and taught.
Water as a theme ran through many shows alongside mothers and female heroines. Pared back was there, but opulence took the stage with much in way of decoration from placement to accessories. But again there was a lot of flesh on show; whether it be deep V fronts or low exposed backs and flesh exposed via pulls, tuck and pull strings showing parts of the body not usually exposed.
Colour was very present and unashamed of showing off, lots and lots of soft spring-like tones, a smattering of jewel colours neutrals and patterns from flowers to check via heritage prints.
All in all, London did feel a little bit celebratory it raised its head above the parapet and called out look at me, I’m the birthday girl and it’s my party. After all, this is the second part of the 40th anniversary of London Fashion Week; Long may she ‘Show Off and Out’.
Patrick McDowell presents their SS25 collection inspired by the Queer British artist, Glyn Philpot. Illustrating the brand’s commitment to multi-disciplinary creativity, the collection bridges fashion, art and culture. Patrick McDowell’s appreciation for history saw them dive into the Tate archives to explore the letters written by Glyn Philpot to close friends and family, helping to establish the life behind the artist’s work. McDowell sought out Glyn Philpot’s remaining relatives to gain a personal insight into the life of the eminent artist and bring a sense of authenticity to the collection. After discovering the two contrasting lives Glyn experienced, one of society and status and one of queer identity and true expression, it became clear that the collection should celebrate and fuse both. This season’s collection aims to highlight the reality of many queer people living a dual existence
Ever since one American housewife by the name of Timmie Jean Lindsey became the first person to receive silicone breast implants in the distant year of 1962, plastic is everywhere. True as this may be (for silicone is indeed a plastic polymer) the fact remains that the ‘plastic’ we all know and love to hate in ‘plastic surgery’ comes from the Greek plastikos (from plassein ‘to mould’) and refers to the medical practice’s purpose of, yes, moulding; forming, altering the physical appearance of, giving shape and novel structure to the body. It is our modern zeitgeist’s radical appropriation of this ‘moulding’, whereby antiquity’s mutilated burn victim has, in some telling turn of events, been replaced by the contemporary individual dissatisfied aesthetically with her/his/their own healthy body, that Natasha Zinko dissects in her SS25 collection.
From this year onward, HU BING SELECTS will become a recurring feature at London Fashion Week, showcasing his keen eye for innovation and emerging talent. With a career spanning over 30 years in fashion, film, and television, Hu Bing is not only a cultural icon but also an advocate for young designers and fashion innovation. Leveraging his vast social media following, with over 13 million on Weibo and 5 million on Douyin, he is fixture on best-dressed lists and a regular guest at luxury events such as those hosted by Ferrari, Louis Vuiton, and Rolls-Royce, HuBing seamlessly blends personal style with his commitment to supporting fashion.
Love, Community, Connection, Empathy and Unity SABIRAH is a sustainably conscious Demi Couture Modest-Wear brand founded by Stylist and Creative Director, Deborah Latouche.
“I was inspired by recent family events where I truly saw what it means for a community to come together and show LOVE, UNITY and EMPATHY at a time of need. It’s so special and something that the world needs right now. Our house was full of cards and sweet smelling flowers that reminded me of Monet’s beautiful painterly scenes of the French Countryside” Latouche says.
Inspired by the floral displays peppered around her living room, the colour palette this season consists of sweet hues in light rose, mint, aqua, sage lemon meringue, coco and cream. Latouche has welcomed a Paisley Rainbow print into her collection this season re-introducing print for the first time since 2022. Pieces for the modern bride are also encapsulated in Lovingly Modest Collection 1.8, a nod to the more literal theme of love. End-of-life Italian silk, taffeta and striped organza adorn structured cream gowns, jackets and capes exploring femininity and form.
Sabriah – Collection 1.8 Lovingly Modest at London Fashion Week SS25 in partnership with Schwarzkopf Pro. 13th Sept 2024 ©Olu Ogunshakin
Home Sweet Home is a collection that captures the richness of memory, migration, and the desire/search for belonging—a universal tribute to the homes we carry within us.
Echoes of belonging, the pull of distant memories, and a secure sense of self—Ahluwalia’s SS25 collection serves as an homage to the profound ties that bind us to our roots. Inspired by the stories of those who have traversed continents, the collection reflects on the emotional landscapes of migration, the lingering call of ancestral homes, and the delicate balance between past and present. Through this exploration, the designer reimagines the concept of home, intertwining personal history with artistic expression to create a collection that resonates with one’s deepest longings.
This Chet Lo SS25 collection, pays homage to a remarkable woman, Mai-Wah Cheung, and her extraordinary journey from pioneering the field of computer sciences to becoming a force in digital media, and eventually, an artist and educator. This collection commemorates my mother.
Mai-Wah Cheung’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and transformation. Beginning her career as one of the first women in Computer Sciences, she broke through the barriers of a male-dominated industry, paving the way for future generations. Her expertise in the digital realm led her to become the Chief Information Officer at Univision, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the future of news networks. Following her corporate success, she embarked on a new path, dedicating herself to teaching and painting.
The palette transitions from deep, authoritative tones to lighter, more serene hues, echoing her journey from the high-powered world of technology to the calm of the art studio. Textures play a crucial role, with fabrics that range from structured and resilient to soft and flowing, capturing the essence of both her strength and her vulnerability.
Young people wearing old clothes.
Old people wanting to look eternally youthful.
Herein lies a delicate harmony that speaks to the instincts and impulses of Aaron Esh.
A low-octane sense of glamour permeates each look, from the exaggerated demi-tinted sunglasses – evocative of both Old Hollywood airport arrivals and morning-after London commutes – to bombshell silk and velvet dresses, fastened by bias binding or herringbone twill tape. Suggestions of formalwear are whispered throughout, a reflection of a generational predilection for vintage: the satin stripes of tuxedo trousers isolated as graphical outlines on backless halter-necks; jackets finished with satin-covered buttons and bugle-bead collars glistening beneath the décolleté.
For a generation entering adulthood, breaking free from the playground connotations of London’s always-emerging reputation, there is a worldly sophistication to this collection. At its heart, this is a collection that speaks to the emotional hinterlands of London and its unparalleled attitude. Of growing up, dreaming big, and making something out of nothing.
Seeking harmony in the malleable and the tactile, Spring/Summer 2025 proposes a dreamlike blurring of the distinctions between the intractable and the unyielding, the frozen and the flowing. Across earrings, necklaces and rings, formal possibilities are usurped and juxtaposed: the rigid flows with the lightness of fabric, the adamantine becomes seemingly effervescent. From this point the collection shifts to grid-like pieces in a motif previously unexplored by Completedworks.
“When Anna approached me to write another piece for Completedworks, I’d just visited the Camille Claudel exhibit at the Getty and was haunted by her story. I knew I wanted to expand on last season’s monologue and write a micro play. The play that has emerged is about an art historian and biographer named Aliza, working on a book about Camille Claudel. I was interested in exploring the challenges women– and in particular, female artists– face and the echoes of their story across time. As well as the way they find freedom through mischief and play.” -Fatima Farheen Mirza
“In me the tiger sniffs the rose,” Siegfried Sassoon.
For Spring Summer 2025, Yuhan Wang unveils “The Rose Fist,” a collection that continues her tribute to the spirit of women. This season, she looked to trailblazing female fighters who made their mark on the world of boxing—Alaia Ali, Barbara Butterick, Bridget Riley, and Jane Couch, to be exact. These formidable figures didn’t just break barriers in a male-dominated arena; they reshaped culture and redefined empowerment on their own terms.
Drawing inspiration from the Fighting Cholitas—a group of female wrestlers who perform in El Alto, Bolivia—there are voluminous skirts with low-slung, exaggerated panniers in lace and nylon. Repurposed fabric off-cuts from dead stock are reconstructed into form-fitting slip dresses and mini skirts. As for the footwear, Dainty 19th century-inspired court shoes, another Yuhan Wang mainstay, take an athletic turn with block colour panels and mesh inserts.
London Fashion Week SS25 – 13th Sept 2024 – Yuhan Wang – The Rose Fist – ©Olu Ogunshakin / Chris Yates Media
For Spring Summer 25 Dreaming Eli returns to Sicily to delve into the rich mythology steeped in her native enchanted island, drawing inspiration from the Greek myth of Scylla and Charybdis, two monsters that inhabited opposite sides of the Strait of Messina, the channel of water separating Italy from Sicily.
The collection gets its inspiration particularly from the figures of Scylla, described in the Odyssey Homer as a supernatural female creature, with 12 feet and 6 heads on long snaky necks, each head having a triple row of sharklike teeth, while her loins were girdled by the heads of baying dogs. From her lair in a cave, she would devour whatever ventured within reach, including six of Odysseus’s companions.
Spring Summer 25 explores signature Dreaming Eli corsetry, vintage corsetry elements, such as crinolines, fan laces, busks and suspenders bring structure to the organic textures. The iconic Dreaming Eli triple corset is here deconstructed and developed in new intricate designs. The art of draping and layering makes each piece unique and one of a kind promoting Dreaming Eli ethos of handmade production, which alongside the continuation of exploration of upcycled denim which for the season is cut out and enriched with the delicate lace.
Bora Aksu, SS25 is the culmination of a life dedicated to the elevation of feminine beauty, a celebration of life in memory of his late mother. SS25 is a joyful elegy written in their shared passion for style and grounded in the profound love and admiration that Birsen Aksu continues to inspire in her son. The collection journeys through the amalgam of Aksu’s Turkish heritage and his mother’s relentless pursuit of style and beauty. The tapestry of Birsen Aksu’s life, and its impact on Bora, come to fruition through intricate weaving and the playful femininity that have become synonymous with his designs. Lush silhouettes and diaphanous fabrics partner with subdued explosions of colour to create pieces that retain Aksu’s signature demi-couture tailoring while allowing for the introduction of bold new elements that elevate the collection as a whole.
“My whole identity as a designer comes via my mother. Growing up watching her elegance and style as well as her strength as an independent woman instilled in me a deep reverence for femininity and a love for the process of creation, to this day she is my greatest source of inspiration.” – Bora Aksu
Bora’s mother balanced life as a mother and paediatrician all while pursuing her love for design. Living in Turkey in the 1960s she found it difficult to find clothes that allowed her to express her individuality. As such, she began designing and creating her own clothes to celebrate her unique style. It is this pursuit of beauty, this celebration of the female spirit that carries through this collection. Central to SS25 are the dual ideas of lushness and the subdued explosions of colour that reflect the focus on colour and texture taken from early photographs of Birsen Aksu. This season Aksu blends traditional and modern in order to expose the sophisticated femininity that transcends decades; traditional embroidery and printing methods are paired with patterns that bring new ideas into a classic method of tailoring.
Silhouettes are rich and voluminous, encompassing cropped tailored jackets, draped shirting and layered skirts that can be worn together or as separates. In a striking play of contrasts, sharp tailoring meets soft detailing to deliver garments that pair metres of sheer pastel fabrics with rich floral embroidery reminiscent of mid-century detailing. Blazers combine strong silhouettes with softer, more feminine detailing in the form of laced shoulders and patterned over-sleeves.
Bora’s relentless pursuit of vintage fabrics from manufacturers continues this season as in the past. Uncovering hidden rolls of limited quantity fabric that is dotted throughout the collection as a celebration of conscious design. From hand-embroidered fabrics in shades of whites and sandy nudes to flowing designs in pale pink and contrasting black, creating striking effects that help to elevate the garments that they adorn. The addition of soft blues, egg yolk yellow, dusty pinks and loud shades of reds infuses drama and romance into the collection.
Aarti Vijay Gupta – Postcards from Kashmir
It’s called Heaven on Earth for a reason. Kashmir which sits on the northern belt of the country boasts an abundance of greenery, never-ending valleys, powder-coated mountains and lakes you want to float on. For the Spring Summer 2025 showcase, it stood as the singular inspiration for a collection that balances nature and fashion.
Gupta with Spring/Summer 2025 yet again stuck to her roots, with India—which has for the last eight seasons been her anchor—once again proving to be the perfect mood board for a successful collection.
In the SS25 collection, RAY CHU embraces this flower’s symbolic essence. It incorporates 3D printing technology to convey the bulbous beauty and add depth and dimensionality to the designs. Discarded wires are stripped, dismantled and then reassembled to create a structure brimming with vitality. Through its deconstruction and reconstruction, each layer of wire symbolises the process of giving new life to what was once considered waste. Two ends of the 3D printed flowers echo each other. The flower inspires seamless integration of brand identity and natural elements for ornament meets wearability.
This season’s colour palette revolves around RAY CHU’s signature accent colour, fiery red, complemented by icy yellow, classic black and white, and easy-to-wear tones. The silhouettes and statement details are grounded in practicality, with clever tailored touches like misaligned blazer lapels and subtle details in shirt designs. Playful elements like flared mini skirts and dress silhouettes reminiscent of flowerpots add a whimsical tenderness to the collection. The fabrics chosen include recycled fish scale made textiles, water chestnut yarns, and a higher proportion of natural materials, resulting in a collection that balances commercial appeal with innovative design.
14th September 2024. A model walks in the Ray Chu Spring Summer 2025 Catwalk show. ©Olu Ogunshakin/ Chris Yates Media
Entering a juxtaposition between the colliding worlds of the 2020s’ day-to-day corporate hustle and 1960s’ newfound expressionist lust for life, Ancuța Sarca plays upon her signature metamorphosis of different eras colliding together for her Spring/Summer 25 collection.
Going into contrasting inspirations, SS25 also looks out into enmeshing the 2020s corporate minimalism with its very own antonym – the animalistic burst of energy and lust of the 1960s. Sportswear styles are injected with animal prints across their core – a signature upcycled snakeskin high heel pump meets a masculine shirt collar, or oversized leopard print boots brought forward by sportswear stripes, all signatures of Ancuța Sarca’s work contrasting dualities that unveil the different roles we carry across modern-day life. New menswear styles bring forward sportswear and cycling inspirations by repurposing masculine loafer silhouettes into signature Sarca creations by combining velcro fastenings, all created in this season’s four signature SS25 offerings – faux snakeskin, chrome, black and white.
The brand’s name, ” BUERLANGMA,” carries significant symbolism—“ BUER” signifies uniqueness, while “LANGMA,” derived from the Tibetan term for Mount Everest, symbolises the pinnacle of achievement within the fashion industry. A legacy this collection, hosted by Fashion Scout, continued to strengthen.
For SS25, BUERLANGMA has developed a collection divided into five distinct yet interconnected sections – Desire, Power, Degenerate Peace, and Vold – reflecting the brand’s commentary on society through past, present, and future lenses.
Mark Fast’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection is a striking blend of couture craftsmanship and sportswear innovation, shaped by his passion for underground music. Fast’s designs channel the energy and thrill of discovering new sounds, reflecting the rush he gets from the deep bass lines that inspire his work.
This season’s collection highlights stone-washed denim reworked with a fresh, streetwear edge and bandage dresses in soft neutrals and electric neons, offering both elegance and attitude. The Stone Rose Crochet Dress, featuring bold fringing at the hips, captures Fast’s signature mix of intricate detail and modern design.
Colours shown were Orchid White, Mint Green, Caramel, Salmon Pink, Chrome Yellow, Shades of Blue. The fabrics for Spring/Summer ’25 are honest, natural yarns mixed with modern technical finishes and ultra-lightweight: Pure Irish Linen, Cotton Poplin, Crystal Pleated Tulle, Techno Tulle, Wadding.
Layered fabrics and colours subtly shift in and out of focus—tinted, hazy, and almost invisible. Some dresses are constructed on super-light tulle corsets, with hips gently rounded and padded, altering proportions.
An introspective collection inspired by the myth of Ariadne and Theseus, reframing the ancient tale to explore the labyrinth within the self, where desire, loss, and the search for love collide. Entitled “My Body is a Labyrinth” this season unveils a deeply personal journey, celebrating the divine power of female self-pleasure, the sensuality of faded summer memories, and the embrace of our darker selves.
At the heart of the collection lies the Minotaur, representing the darker side of human nature—the parts of ourselves that we hide, that yearn for love, that carry pain and mourning. Through the myth, DI PETSA imagines the labyrinth as the internal exploration we must take to confront our shadow selves. In this journey, self-pleasure becomes the thread guiding us through the twists and turns, leading us to the shape shifting Minotaur within, where we rediscover the purity of our primal desires and the pain of lost love.
ROKSANDA’S Spring Summer 2025 collection draws inspiration from the work of Hungarian artist Agnes Denes, a pioneer of environmental art, and her conceptual art piece “ Wheatfield – A Confrontation“ planted in Lower Manhattan in 1982 as a symbol of nature versus industrialisation and the ever-growing disconnection between human desires and their actual needs. ‘It called attention to our misplaced priorities’ said Agnes, whose thought-provoking words have sparked the initial idea of this latest collection – a project which sees ROKSANDA embark on a journey where family and history, human and nature co-exist. Set within one of London’s architectural hidden treasures, Space House, designed by George Marsh in 1968, the collection perfectly resonates with Agnes’s work, set against the skylines of Manhattan.
Spring Summer 25 embodies the spirit of modern femininity, striking a balance between structure and fluidity, and connecting traditional craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics. Illustrative are dresses constructed from a luxurious blend of liquid velvet and silk, artfully draped to evoke a sense of sophisticated deconstruction. Elevated day dresses made from silk-twill and wool-melange tailoring fabric take this aesthetic further by revealing their inner construction inspired by men’s tailoring. ROKSANDA’s renowned volume is also ever-present, featuring recycled mixed-fibre taffeta. Panels of crisp fabrication are hand-pleated into asymmetric, sculptural bows creating shapes reminiscent of floral forms found in nature.
Global footwear brand Crocs and luxury fashion house Simone Rocha have joined forces on the runway once again. This season, the third installment of their footwear collaboration unveils the Simone Rocha x Crocs Stomp Fisherman Sandal at the Simone Rocha Spring Summer 2025 runway show.
Like its previous iterations, the Simone Rocha x Crocs collection continues to fuse the unique design codes of each brand, combining the Simone Rocha aesthetic with Crocs’ iconic brand DNA. Drop 3 focuses on the new Stomp Fisherman Sandal silhouette; taking this exaggerated new Crocs style as a base, the Simone Rocha x Crocs Stomp Fisherman Sandal is adorned with Rocha’s signature crystal and pearl embellishments, elevating the sandal through the designer’s unique lens.
This season, Kuo Wei’s brain MRI images are reimagined and transformed into prints on the garments, creating a surreal yet meaningful vibe that echoes the brand’s abstract deconstruction approach. Beyond the prints, this collection also brings INF’s perspective on sustainable fashion to the forefront. Kuo Wei believes that while recycling old clothes and upcycling are great, he’s more interested in addressing fashion waste before it even happens. That’s why INF’s famous multi-wear series has reached its peak this season. Through innovative design, he gives a single garment multiple ways to be worn, such as turning a bag into a T-shirt or a skirt into pants. “By giving clothes multiple identities, we’re offering more than just a fashion item. Besides being stylish and functional, we hope it can adapt to various occasions and accompany the wearer for a long time, thereby reducing fashion waste.
Photography Janis Dzenis
For Spring Summer 25, Erdem explores the push and pull of masculine and feminine dressing and identity. Today ‘The Well of Loneliness’ is lauded as a queer tract of enduring relevance, relatable to new audiences exploring the boundaries of gender, self-expression and love. In the novel there are moments of great tenderness and timeless beauty alongside the anguish. One episode that stayed with Erdem is when Stephen is being measured for a suit on Savile Row; beyond a fitting it feels like an awakening.
Malone Souliers – The Pinps
Spring Summer 25 collection at Somerset House, the original home of Fashion Week, as part of London Fashion Week’s official calendar. Malone Souliers SS25 collection draws inspiration from vintage magazines, classic billboards and cinema. Reflecting on the timeless allure of 1950s pin-up culture, we embrace old-school Hollywood glamour, burlesque and rockabilly aesthetics to evoke a flirtatious femininity while maintaining a sartorial edge.
Clothes that are built on labour, create beauty from order, and incorporate humour that gives a new perspective on life. I aimed for a process of firmly grounded clothes-making that is deeply concerned with shaping while conceptually addressing the body and landscape. I decided on a salon show for TOGA’s return to the runway because I wanted to create a space where people can look carefully and closely at the clothes, rather than simply be entertained.
Drawing from the adaptive techniques of the Bedouin desert tribes, Constantinou has crafted a collection built for the unpredictable. Expect versatile pieces that use fabric innovation to handle these extremes—airy bouclé for the heat, sturdy drills and insulated quilts for when the temperature drops. His signature approach blends functionality and design, creating garments that transition seamlessly between environments while staying rooted in reality.
The Seasonless’25 Collection underscores Maison Bent’s commitment to sustainable luxury. Designed for wear across all seasons, this collection defies the traditional fashion calendar, offering versatile, timeless pieces that are relevant year-round. Signature Maison Bent elements—cut-outs, spiral sleeves, exaggerated gatherings, and decorative yet functional rings—are reimagined to create the brand’s most ambitious and expansive collection to date.
Marques’Almeida presents their Spring/Summer 2025 collection, an evocative fusion of historic grandeur and rebellious modernity. Drawing on the lavish aesthetics of 17th-century Dutch paintings and Baroque influences, the collection transforms these traditional inspirations into something fiercely contemporary, raw, and unapologetically subversive. The pieces exhibit a palpable tension: a juxtaposition of fascination and respect for history, intertwined with a sense of defiance and freedom.
SS25 takes inspiration from Wolfe Von Lenkiewicz and his ability to bridge traditional oil painting with contemporary technology. His work masterfully preserves the soul of the Renaissance with a modern perspective. Curated masterpieces are reinterpreted through AI technologies, and rendered back to life with his oil painting artistry. The women he so meticulously depicts – powerful, regal and at times irreverent – are portrayed with the poise of French Romanticism and the resilience of the modern-day woman. The result is a harmonious balance between the digital and the tactile; a masterclass in converging tradition with innovation.
For Spring/Summer 2025, Sinead Gorey looks to the great British prom, reimagining the age-old tradition through her own, party girl lens. Leaning into her punk sensibilities, the designer departs from the silhouettes and templates of the late noughties and early 2000s teenage style, building a story whose main character is not so much the prom queen, but the prom anti-heroine.
“In Afrofuturism, we’re always talking about using the imagination to create new futures. But what makes Afrofuturism different from other takes on futurism is an emphasis on using imagination to also reimagine the past … It engages alternative views of looking at time, with the future, past, and present being one.”(Ytasha Womack, 2018)
The Im Possible Family Reunion in RPG Space’ series is a narrative of hope and belonging, a product of Afrofuturism. Through this lens, I reimagine my family members as characters in limitless realms, visually guided by the fantasy worlds I immersed myself in as a young person.
A pilgrimage through a transformative and pensive state, Philipp Dorner looks to a space in limbo for SS25, a liminal gap traversed by the passage from youth to adulthood. Defined by unspoken stipulations of uniform, dictated by societal rules – a boy scout’s uniform emulative of a preparatory adolescence, ministry dress code adorned in papal grandeur. The line in the sand between fantasy and reality becomes so blurred they represent an emblematic in-between of boyhood. Translating the naive and uncertain dissonance of pubescence through clashes of functionality yet fluid irregular movement, SS25 mirrors a push-and-pull of rigorous societal structures at odds with youths’ untainted freedom to express.
A fabricated study in tensions between idealism and realism through textile and silhouette, playful juvenility stands at the forefront through Phillip Dorner’s house-style of refined yet experimental surface embellishment and exploration. Semi-transparent prints, hybridised velvets confined within breaks and integrated briefs within trousers, tailored tent-like shapes, mirror an exuberance of a child dressing as an adult. The collection looks to examine the rigid frameworks that shape our early understanding of the world, whilst influenced by hopeful, borderless transitions and life outside expectational margins.
The show at Somerset House draws inspiration from JINGDONG’s signature red and its passion for creativity and innovation. As the show begins, the music gently rises, blending melodies rooted in traditional Chinese culture with modern elements, creating a fusion of both vintage and avant-garde atmospheres. In this show, HAZZYS reinterprets the aesthetics of classic and casual styles through simple yet refined designs. ELLASSAY explores contemporary urban fashion with an elegant touch, delving into themes of femininity. Marisfrolg introduces its ‘Glaze Art’ collection, advocating for the integration of high fashion into everyday life. PURE TEA combines Chinese aesthetic modern fashion, featuring embroidery and floral designs that evoke a sense of romance, showcasing the beauty of both vintage and elegance.
The JENN LEE Spring/Summer 2025 collection captures the essence of childhood nostalgia, offering a playful exploration of retro aesthetics. This collection is a celebration of intuitive creativity, as JENN LEE embraces a spontaneous design process that reconnects with the carefree spirit of youth.
By physically crumpling pieces of paper, she allows the organic shapes and silhouettes to emerge and form the basis of the designs. This approach infuses her creations with an unstructured, whimsical quality. Unexpected geometric shapes and seemingly carefree brushstrokes further evoke a sense of freedom. .
London, 16th September 2024, a model walks in the Jenn Lee Spring Summer 2025 Catwalk show. ©Maja Smiejkowska/ Chris Yates Media
Lithuanian designer Agne Kuzmickaite unveiled her SS25 collection at the Lithuanian Embassy in London for an exclusive showcase. Kuzmickaite drew on the relationship with her father, alongside the exploration of culture as the concept for this collection. Reflecting on the struggle for Lithuanian independence by reimagining traditional symbols.
The collection reintroduces the traditional Lithuanian woven band, a symbol of unity and strength, combining it with striking silhouettes that turn meaning into reality. The woven band is used in long lines with eye-catching geometric patterns to give a sense of movement and power.
Agne Kuzmickaite Lithuanian designer unveiled her Spring Summer 2025 collection at the Lithuanian Embassy for London Fashion Week. ©Olu Ogunshakin / Chris Yates Media
UA in UK – Fashion from a bomb shelter
Ukrainian brands, Andrea Msokin, EPPS, Shevchenko
For the fourth time, the Ukrainian community in London – UA in UK Community, led by activist and entrepreneur Oleksandra Volkova, invited British and international influencers, representatives of the fashion industry to get acquainted with the creativity of Ukrainian brands as part of the UA in UK Fashion Show – an evening event on the official schedule of London Fashion Week
“Our social mission as UA in UK Community is to tell the world about talented Ukrainians and through cultural diplomacy to thank Britain for supporting such necessary support for Ukraine. This season we’ve once again supported new names that are thriving despite all the destruction in their cities! We hope that patrons will pay attention to our project next year, and we will be able to help draw attention to more brands,” comments Aleksandra Volkova, founder of UA in UK Community and Volkova PR&Fashion Agency.
Andrea Msokin, EPPS, Shevchenko. Images Daniel Turbert.
ZHAOYI YU – GLIMPSE
The collection explores the interconnected fragility of the ocean, land, and sky, mirroring the vulnerability and emotional honesty of the human experience. Through his work, YU captures the essence of fragile beauty, reflecting a nuanced relationship between human emotions and the environment. Human fragility is both examined and admired as a conscious expression of one’s true emotions towards others, while the even more fleeting fragility of objects captures the essence of his latest work.
One of the standout features of this collection is ZHAOYI YU’s innovative use of traditional Chinese mother-of-pearl inlay craftsmanship. This technique, typically seen in decorative arts, has been reimagined into wearable art pieces that evoke the softness and strength of ocean shells. The result is a series of garments that embody the fluidity, vulnerability, and inclusivity that define the brand’s aesthetic. These pieces showcase the brand’s dedication to preserving cultural heritage while highlighting the designer’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of fashion through textile experimentation.
Under the vibrant energy of London Fashion Week, the Nosakhari Film Festival returned for its second edition, celebrating the intersection of storytelling and fashion. Held at the iconic Rich Mix Cinema in Shoreditch, the festival captivated audiences with its exploration of transformation through the theme of “Becoming”…
Pam Hogg ‘Of God’s and Monsters’
This collection, inspired by the struggles of the displaced and marginalised, presents a raw and visceral commentary on today’s geopolitical landscape. Hogg underscored the message while receiving her ICON Award this September, using her platform to raise awareness of humanitarian crises. She said: “Time .. as one of the pieces in my current exhibition on for two more days .. devoted to all the displaced and underprivileged here and all around the world… especially for the people of Gaza right now… TIME TICKS LIKE BOMBS. What Time Is Love?”
Heist Studio’s worked collaboratively with FEBEN using custom dying and laser cutting with North London Laser to create custom tights. Showcased for the first time on the catwalk at the FEBEN SS25 collection preview during London Fashion Week.
The theme of APUJAN’s latest fashion collection is Mirror, Keys, and Drink Me. APUJAN has often chosen fantasy, literature, or time as its theme. This time, they once again developed themes that paid tribute to different works of literature, including Alice in Wonderland. The theme expresses that people in this modern society, where the line between reality and virtual reality is blurred, are like drinking the Alice magic potion. We can’t tell our own size and objects’ sizes and are unsure about ourselves and space dimensions.
Edeline Lee ‘The Passegiata’
For Spring Summer 2025 the designer experiments with structure. Preserving its customary elegant fit and precise craftsmanship, the brand’s core shapes and accents are augmented this season with lavish drapery and fluid tassels, underpinned with structured, boned panniers that playfully accentuate and rejoice in the female body.
“For me, Spring Summer 2025 is an opportunity to invite people into our world, and present the meaning and the purpose behind the brand: to serve women, to design clothes that make them feel polished, ready, and powerful. I think of the women who wear my clothes as superhuman; they can almost be in two places at once! That’s how the doppelgänger theme in the show developed. My client is a superwoman – her clothing should mirror and amplify her inner power.”
Setting strict boundaries as a liberating act: a design quest rooted in the materiality of what clothing is made for, in a reduced library of materials. One fabric, silk satin; one yarn for knitwear, cashmere; one kind of leather, calf; one type of embroidery, sequins; lace as the only decoration. From such restrictive agenda an exploration into modern prettiness ensues. Zooming in, and zooming out, macro plays off with micro, done with undone. Knit stitches became giant weaving; a bow inflates to enormous proportions; a flap gets askew and draws the shape of a skirt; a blanket is draped into a dress; a skirt is perfectly round and suspended. Surface treatment and embellishment. Lace runs down the V of architectural flappers. An essay on design is printed on a sheath dress or sliced and mixed with argyle on a top. In a time warp of sorts, allover argyle motifs flash back to early JW Anderson collections. Skintight and voluminous; sculptural and slender. All of it on flat boots falling askew on the ankles, and the Loafer bag at hand.
Phoebe English – Cloud Cover
Material going unused and foraged: hotel bedding, silks from bridal waste off cuts, surplus, faulty, leftover sewing threads, using up all that we have left botanical colour smokey chartreuse hues from hand collected Ragwort ( Warwickshire ) dyed to exhaust the vat across several weights of silk surface split seams, heart lace cut outs, fine draped silk panels, embroidered stripe forms papery suspended hearts accumulated, loose informal gathers, fractured lapping hems, freefalling ties, overlaid double collars, triangular cut-outs.
Paul Costelloe – Le ciel est bleu
Using sumptuous Irish linens, cotton and silk jacquards presented in radiant pastels, this collection exudes a youthful spirit.
Smocking detail and delicate ruffle trims, linen dresses, skirts and silk linen tweeds appear in a Midsummer Night’s Dream. An in-house designed floral print by William Costelloe brings the colour-palette together in Paul’s “Ode to Paris”.
de FICHIER collections emphasise luxury and sustainability by using ethically sourced, high-quality materials such as fine lamb wool, alpaca wool, leather, silk, and lace. These materials are selected not just for their beauty but also for their alignment with de FICHIER’s sustainability principles. For example, lamb and alpaca wool are renewable resources, while leather and silk are sourced from partners committed to ethical practices. By collaborating with prestigious UK suppliers like Pongee Silk and Abraham Moon, the brand ensures that each garment is made with the finest fabrics available.
Genaro Rivas – Marvel Hill
Peruvian designer Genaro Rivas made a strong return to London Fashion Week with his “Marvel Hill” Spring-Summer 2025 collection, presented on September 14th. This marks his third consecutive show at the prestigious event, solidifying his reputation as a leader in sustainable and purpose-driven fashion.”Marvel Hill” is inspired by the harmony between nature and city life, showcasing bold volumes and a vibrant colour palette with green, magenta, and light blue as the main tones. Each piece is handcrafted in collaboration with women’s communities in Peru and East London, promoting artisanal work and female empowerment. Rivas partnered with MH Tejidos, Fabric Works, and Studio Akthreads, as well as emerging talent from Wimbledon College of Arts, to bring this collection to life.
Jayne Pierson
The collection is based in ‘woodlands dark and days bewitched’ exploring the rich heritage of Wales, mythology and the power of ritual and collective storytelling. For centuries, Wales has been seen as a land of magic, superstitions and the supernatural. The ‘Annwn’ collection examines the history and persecution of women as witches across Europe in the Middle Ages. Approximately 4,000 women were sent to their death persecuted as witches in Scotland and 1,000 in England, 200,000 across Europe but curiously just five in Wales.
Inspired by the brand’s ethos, the untitlab® SS25 collection centres on the themes of exploration, adventure, and breaking boundaries. Using vibrant colours and dynamic shapes, the collection evokes a powerful sense of freedom. Pushing the boundaries of innovative craftsmanship, we have collaborated with the British eco-friendly wool brand Cloudwool to introduce mule bags and slip-ons, and with HILOS Studio to develop fully recyclable 3D-printed shoes. Additionally, we partnered with artist *toooomyng to present the inflatable rubber Reel Boots.
Further expanding our vision, we’ve reimagined formal wear by incorporating sneakers into the new Helix thick-soled racing shoe series and Malar Boots, both crafted using cutting-edge overall embossing technology.
This is a collection about the holidays you didn’t take, of cancelled getaways and postponed plans. Newly bought shirts meant for’ warmer climes, now without purpose. Still in London. Still caught in the August rain. I’m sure you’ll take that trip next year. Might as well try and see if you Can wear that new shirt in the office; It would be a shame to waste it. A cracked wingmirror to summer in modern multicultural London, A vignette of a Sunday morning on the East-End streets outside my studio. The morning after NIGHTWALKING-
S.S Daley – NO PREFIX, SUFFIX OR QUOTES
Chopova Lowena – Chukaboo
For spring 2025, designers Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons reimagine the ferocious feminine muses ofAmerica’s past. These are the rodeo girls and the showgirls with their steeds and stockings, who bravelyforged their own way through the American West. Denim, studs, spurs, and protective leather outerwear clashwith garish and glamorous ruffles and corsetry. Bloomers, cascades of frills, braided belts, and an abundanceof medals and medallions reflect the costuming traditions of the Victorian era, creating an opportunity formodern women to identify themselves in the signs and symbols of this collection. Maybe she’ll be a gymnast, too. Inspired by fearless Olympians, dynamic garments are brought into thecollection as stretch sparkle separates, rhinestone-covered swimwear, and flexible studded suiting that nodsto yet another costume of a woman’s life: her work attire. Vintage warm-up gear with its chevron patterns andsporty striping is merged with Victoriana frills for a little extra oomph.A big, brash personality is just as essential to the spirit for spring 2025 as are new shoes, accessories, andextra special collaborations and product launches:“My dear chukaboo, I love you.”
Karoline Vitto – Undertide
Now with two Fashion East shows and a season showing with the support of Dolce & Gabbana in Milan under her belt, SS25 sees Vitto step out completely solo for the first time. She feels ready. Her techniques and construction have evolved to become slicker and more sophisticated, while the recognizable cornerstones of her craft remain. Her signature draped dresses wrap around the body in new ways, sensually revealing and concealing various parts of the body, while the fabric of dramatic, floor-length maxi-skirts ripples across the floor as the wearer walks. Bodysuits are key for the summer season, with Vitto building on past styles that put support at the forefront: their slinky straps criss-cross across the chest and down the back, offering women with larger busts the opportunity to wear the kind of drapey tops that may have previously felt off-limits. The palette spans Vitto’s typically neutral hues of black, nude, brown, and white, run through with flashes of scarlet red, and introduces punchy new shades of bright pink and a stormy blue.
MITHRIDATE proudly unveiled its newest collection and first season on the official London Fashion Week schedule. This season celebrates the Creative Director’s hometown roots and Yunnan’s rich tapestry of artistry; a stunning tribute to Yunnan, the southwestern province of China, known for its breathtaking landscapes, vibrant ethnic diversity and rich cultural traditions. Talent included Tamsin Greig, Tigerlily Taylor, couple Jameela Jamil and James Blake, alongside Actors Charlie Rowe, Hannah Dodd who looked effortlessly chic in the latest Spring Summer 25 collection.
Stephen Jones Millinery – The Curve
Stephen Jones presents his Spring Summer 2025 collection inspired by the sculptor Constantin Brancusi and the legendary Parisian designers: Azzedine Alaïa, Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana. Stephen collaborated with all three designers in their heyday and their sculptural lines are echoed in the Model, Miss Jones and Jonesboy collections, mirroring Brancusi’s celebrated oeuvre. Azzedine contributes his concept of chic, whether in broderie anglaise for summer, or the angle of a beret. ‘Stephen, tu va chicer le chapeau?’* Thierry’s sense of Hollywood extravagance is seen in forms which evoke drama, whether in scale or humour. ‘Bigger, more rhinestones’* Claude and Stephen’s legacy of balancing architectural forms with softness has inspired modernist organic hats. ‘Darling, it must hug the face…. beautiful….’*
Paolo Carzana – How to Attract Mosquitos
With a concentration on water, and reflection, this time around I worked intensely on achieving a colour palette to represent these feelings, sky and cloud blue, from indigo and hibiscus, muted and moss like greens from turmeric and Indigo and black tea, and earth like purples from logwood, black walnut and cochineal. This time I was fortunate to work with some students from Saint Martins, who crafted with me, a narcissus / daffodil (symbol of Wales) figure, that made its way into the collection. Creating chalks and paints for fabric use from natural pigments with earth ingredients, French ochre, Italian gold ochre, burnt Sienna, raw umber. As well as working with charcoal for hand drawn and applied narcissus expressions. The idea to begin to paint and draw for the textiles came about after taking a deep dive into the world of Toulouse- Lautrec. To my memory, a painting by Henri was my first ever introduction to art.
The essence of life is vibrant and ever-evolving, resembling an energetic dance. Playfulness encapsulates this fluidity, honouring the transient and transformative aspects of existence. It goes beyond mere action, embodying the most authentic human expression, symbolizing freedom, happiness, and unrestrained exploration of both our external environment and our inner selves. Through play, we interact with life in a creative manner, breaking away from rigid routines and structures. In a world increasingly filled with stress and anxiety, infusing playfulness into our daily routines is more essential than ever.
Masha Popova’s Spring / Summer ‘25 offering, ‘Impulse’, invites the wearer to revel in the unplanned. The collection is all about capturing sporadic, accidental and serendipitous fashion moments – throwing on clothes without thinking, dresses catching in underwear, bikini straps falling down shoulders – and rendering them exquisite.
“Photography is an expressive art, particularly suitable for the female mentality. Women are excellent observers, and in photography this quality is required above all others.”
— Gisèle Freund
Drawing inspiration from the astute lens of German-born French photographer Gisèle Freund, the Emilia Wickstead Spring Summer 2025 collection explores the profound
connection between the photographer and the lives of her subjects. Freund, known for capturing portraits of notable artists, writers and poets, believed that photography was uniquely suited to the “female mentality”; emphasising qualities such as sensitivity, intuition, and a recreative approach.
For her LFW Spring-Summer 2025 presentation, Irish designer Sinéad O’Dwyer creates an immersive space interrogating the nature of memory. The collection, titled ‘Everything Opens To Touch’, is a meditation on experiences of particular emotional intensity – the crush, the palpable connectionthe hunger for shared moments – set in a dreamy, hot summer. The memory is interpreted through a range of collaborative media: sound by Witch Trials and Cosha, the latter reading a poem specially commissioned for the collection from author Anastasiia Fedorova, and an experimental film by Sharna Osborne.
Fashion East showcased three in one collections on the catwalk. The Spring Summer 2025 shows from Loutre, Nuba and Olly Shinder. Alongside two presentations from Kitty Skukman and Sos Skyn.
The sun rises over a crisp, spring morning. Dew clings to the grass and the first light breaks over London’s skyline. The Johanna Parv woman has a busy day ahead of her. But first, the commute. ‘On my way!’ calls a voice, Parv’s own, spoken in her Estonian mother tongue.
‘I forgot my helmet. This Lime bike has no seat!? I can’t park pass through our consciousness every day as we move from A to B. Whether on foot, bicycle, train or car, we are in motion. And JohannaParv’s SS25 collection makes those daily transitions as smooth, elegant and unrestricted as possible.
This season, we focus on a familiar period of transition —September, marked by the shift from school into university or work. A coming of age: exciting and unnerving in equal measure. This collection embodies that moment of shedding the familiar. The traditional school uniform components are deconstructed and personalized. It’s after a summer of anticipation, where the excitement of self-discovery is combined with nostalgia. Clothing therefore offers a platform for creating our own identity.
Read more about the Spring Summer 2025 collections at London Fashion Week in: Fashion Week Spring Summer 2025; After Dark
