London Fashion Week, the second instalment of the ‘Big Four’ has come out with a bang. As always, the shows have been full of innovative designs, displaying the best fashion that Britain has to offer. And in the spirit of the best of Britain this year’s London Fashion Week was dedicated to the late Vivienne Westwood as we celebrate her vast contributions to the fashion industry.
LFW hosted 47 catwalk shows and 127 brands over the 5-day event, and so there was a lot of fashion to consume this past week. But don’t you worry, we’ve done all the leg work for you and put our favourite collections in this one convenient article for you. So just keep reading to see everything you need to from this London Fashion Week.
Sinéad O’Dwyer
Sinéad O’Dwyer is putting the rest of the fashion industry to shame. Her inclusive fashion shows prove how easy it is to diversity the catwalk, showing us that if brands wanted to, they would. O’Dwyer champions designing clothes for everyone, and when you design for everyone, they are modelled by everyone, proving that other brands are simply not pulling their weight in terms of inclusivity. For Sinéad O’Dwyer diversifying her casting call is not a publicity stunt or a way to gain brownie-points among Gen-Z, it is simply fulfilling the purpose of a catwalk; demonstrating how the clothes will be worn to a consumer. This attitude to diversity may seem like a no-brainer, of course you would model clothes on a variety of bodies because there is no one type of body that will be wearing them, but unfortunately in the fashion industry this outlook is a breath of fresh air. Designers like Sinéad O’Dwyer are restoring our faith in the fashion industry and our next generation of designers who will hopefully champion inclusivity in an attempt to undo the damaging exclusion that has occurred across the history of fashion.
The collection was a tribute to Sinéad’s late grandmother, Rita O’Dwyer, titled Dúil, an Irish word meaning ‘desire’. The collection featured looks inspired from the 1940s cinematic glamour that her grandmother loved including the array of vintage-inspired halter neck gowns that took to the runway.
The collection came with Sinéad’s signature stretched knits; a technique that has become a distinct style associated with her brand. We saw the cobweb-style knitwork across dresses and bodysuits, to leggings and vests, demonstrating the versatility of both the technique and Sinéad’s designs.
Photo Credits: Sinéad O’Dwyer
Di Petsa
Di Petsa’s AW23 show was inspired by Dimitra Petsa’s Greek heritage. Greek mythology, particularly the story of Persephone, was central to the collection. Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus, was abducted by Hades and became queen of the underworld. The catwalk acted as a representation of Persephone’s journey to the underworld while Dimitra narrated the voyage from the centre of the catwalk.
The collection was inspired by the iconography associated with Greek goddesses through the flowy silhouettes and delicately draped gowns, but perhaps the most prominent exploration of Persephone’s story was through the theme of fertility. Not only were maternity looks worn by pregnant models across the runway, but there were designs that mimicked the pregnant body throughout the collection. Whether these designs were padded belts that were ripped off mid-walk or rigid, protruding structures built into the looks, this collection celebrated the pregnant body.
Photo Credits: Di Petsa
Sinead Gorey
Sinead Gorey saw Cowboy-core and took it clubbing. The cool-girl brand that has taken over London’s nightlife is now taking over London Fashion Week with their debut solo show. But this was not the only debut that Sinead Gorey had in store for us this LFW, the collection also presented their first boot collaboration with Kickers, which was very on brand for the Wild West theme.
The collection featured an array of rave-worthy looks spanning from the iconic body-print dresses to lace catsuits. While the collection was expansive and offered a variety of looks for the London clubbing scene, one thing remained consistent throughout the collection: female empowerment. The brand, the collection and the show itself all have this notion at its heart. ‘Sinead’s Saloon’ became a space that symbolised a woman’s right to have fun and take up space. Sinead successfully moved women from being the side-characters of old Western films and placed them centre stage.
Photo Credits: Sinead Gorey
Ahluwalia
Music influences our everyday lives, from what we think about, how we feel and even to what we wear. The extent to which music influences our fashion choices is a phenomenon that has only increased over time; we personally feel like we deserve a qualification for our ability to recognise a Tyler, The Creator, Taylor Swift or Harry Styles fan with a simple glance at their outfit. In the age of TikTok aesthetics we see a constant linking between style decisions and music as we see a montage of ‘streetwear inspiration’ videos soundtracked to MF DOOM. Similarly, we have seen the ’rockstar girlfriend’ become almost synonymous with Arctic Monkeys fans. It is this relationship that exists between music and style that Ahluwalia explores in their Autumn/Winter 2023 collection ‘Symphony’.
This collection was influenced by the soundtrack of Priya Ahluwalia’s childhood, predominately 90s hip-hop and Bollywood tracks. These influences are clear in the designs, the purple and red fur coat would fit in perfectly in a Snoop Dog music video, whereas the more casual layered looks could have passed as a Lauryn Hill look. However, the music influences do not end there, Alhuwalia took it one step further and actually had the soundwaves from some of her favourite songs made into prints for the collection.
Photo Credits: Ahluwalia
Mark Fast
Mark Fast’s designs are far from the jumper or scarf that you may expect from a self-proclaimed knitwear designer. His Autumn/Winter 2023 collection is home to perfect party looks and everything you could want for city nightlife. From neon accents to cut-out LBDs the show had it all.
The use of both male and female models marked the designer’s first foray into menswear and this collection felt like the perfect place for him to do so. The androgyny of rave-wear is certainly prominent in this collection with many of the looks playing with notions of masculinity and femininity. This created the perfect environment for Mark Fast to step into Menswear as the looks were not necessarily gendered.
Chet Lo
Chet Lo teased their upcoming collection on Instagram at the start of the month with videos of hands and feet being dipped into luminescent water. They’ve had us excited for weeks since and on Saturday we finally got to see the collection.
The show got off to a shocking start; from what we know of Chet Lo’s vibrant collections in the past combined with the bioluminescent teaser, it was safe to say that nobody expected an entirely black look to open the show. However, Chet Lo did just that. The show was inspired by the designer’s battle with depression, with the bioluminescent algae that brightens the otherwise pitch-black ocean symbolising Lo finding light in the darkness of this time.
This journey was visible in the collection, with ink-black looks that featured a vibrant pop of blue or red making up the majority of the show. However, even when exploring such important and serious themes, the designer remained playful. As the models strutted their way down the runway, they turned their heads to the audience and stuck out their tongues to reveal the bright colours that would incriminate even the sneakiest of children. This light-hearted touch reinforced the message that light can be found in the darkness.
Photo Credits: Chet Lo
Fashion East
Fashion East is Lulu Kennedy’s non-profit “talent incubator” for new designers. This London Fashion Week they presented designs from Michael Stewart’s Standing Ground, Johanna Parv and Karoline Vitto. Each designer had their distinct style, but the show remained impeccably cohesive through shared colour palettes. Standing Ground featured some light blues and greys as well as red tones that were also seen in Johanna Parv’s collection. These reds were then continued all the way into Karoline Vitto’s segment of the show where we also saw some bright pinks that circled back to Michael Stewart’s designs at the beginning of the show.
Michael Stewart’s designs favoured simplicity, focusing on clean-cut lines and classic silhouettes. These structural designs were carefully and purposefully constructed, every pleat was wisely placed and every corset perfected. These designs offer a gimmick-free look at luxurious womenswear, where designs are thoughtful yet minimalist.
Johanna Parv’s looks starkly contrasted that of Standing Ground’s presenting a more utilitarian collection that prioritised practicality in womenswear, a cause that has often been neglected. Inspired by women commuters the collection seeks to combat the image of women who are hectic, frazzled and struggling with their bags. The athleisure appropriate looks combine chic designs with practicality, a genre of dress that has traditionally been monopolised by men; Parv is opening this world up to women everywhere. Johanna has since been named one of the semi-finalists for the coveted LVMHPrize for her practical yet luxurious designs.
Karoline Vitto also used her collection to empower women, focusing on championing the folds and curves that make up women’s bodies. A design choice that was particularly compelling was the integration of metal into the looks. As we know, silver is the thing in fashion right now, but we have mainly been seeing it used as a colour, rather than a metal. Vitto, however, used bent silver as a structural element in her looks. It held skirts together, constructed necklines and filled in gaps or slits, bringing a whole new, and well appreciated, perspective on the silver trend.
Photo Credits: Fashion East
Nensi Dojaka
Nensi Dojaka is famous for her ‘naked dresses’ and has a long list of celebrity fans including Emily Ratajkowski, Bella Hadid, Zendaya and Rihanna. This collection was full of the usual dainty tulle and sheer looks that we know and love from the designer. However, for Autumn/Winter 2023 Dojaka utilised some heavier materials such as velvet. Despite the more substantial material, these designs were not without their usual lingerie inspired details such as exposed bra-cups or lace trims.
Photo Credits: Nensi Dojaka
Julien Macdonald
Julien Macdonald just made his return to the runway after almost four years. Macdonald rose to fashion stardom in the 1990s; changing the way that we look at knitwear with his ‘cobweb’ designs. Working everywhere from Chanel to Givenchy, it is safe to say that he has been severely missed in recent years; and he certainly came back with a bang.
Macdonald has been known to dress the biggest names in show-business including Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, and we all remember Paris Hilton’s 21st birthday dress that was designed by no other than Julien. With knowledge of Macdonald’s clientele, it was no surprise that this collection was filled with glamorous looks fit for the stars. The collection ranged from bodysuits made for a popstar, sparkling gowns and even dresses that seemed reminiscent of Paris Hilton’s iconic 21st birthday look. It safe to say that the star-studded audience made a lot of sense at this show.
16Arlington
16Arlington’s Autumn/Winter 2023 collection ’Wake’ took on a double meaning. While the floor of the venue was dusted with coffee grounds and the teaser posted on Instagram ahead of the show was a short clip of a pupil dilating, the ritual of waking up was not the only theme of the collection. Following the passing of 16Arlington’s co-founder and Marco Capaldo’s romantic partner Kikka Cavenati in 2021, the term ‘Wake’ takes on a whole new meaning.
Capaldo was inspired by witchcraft when designing this collection, recognising both the powerful imagery associated with the image of witches but also the historic prejudice that women have experienced. This influence was evident throughout the collection which played with light and dark, sparkling sequins and delicate lace, flowing dresses and structured suits. The looks explored the push and pull of the power yet vulnerability of femininity.
The collection also marked 16Arlington’s debut in Menswear. The structured suits, lace-up knits and fur coats held their own next to the Women’s dazzling gowns, which is an impressive feat. The impeccable tailoring served as the perfect transitional pieces, trousers could be taken from day to night and from smart to casual with something as simple as the addition of a blazer or swapping a jumper for a sparkly top.
Photo Credits: 16Arlington
Yuhan Wang
With a title like ‘The Women Who Came Back’ there was no way to not be excited about Yuhan Wang’s latest collection. The show celebrated female resilience and was heavily inspired by the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill. In the spirit of this the collection celebrated femininity with just a hint of danger, balancing the delicate with the deadly as she paired ribbons and bows with katana swords.
The hyper-feminine dresses were slashed and cut as if the model had just stepped out of a brawl, trousers and jackets were tied in knots and lace-up shoes sat just below the knee in a Tomb Raider-esque fashion. These outfits perfectly represented the powerfully feminine and slightly dangerous characters that we have known and loved across cinema for decades; and we can confidently say that they were looks that Beatrix Kiddo would’ve loved.
Photo Credits: Yuhan Wang
Mowalola
So, we all knew that low-rise jeans were back in fashion, we just didn’t expect them to go that low. Mowalola just debuted their ‘Dark Web’ collection and among a sea of looks all we can think about are those jeans. We are less tempted to call them ‘low rise jeans’ and think they should be technically classified as ‘knee high jeans’ instead. Inspired by New York streetstyle, Mowalola took the skater/hip-hop look of low-hanging baggy jeans to the extreme by having their trousers sit just above the knee. While maybe somewhat impractical, the same could be said about the increasing trend of not wearing trousers at all, and we are loving that at the moment, and so with that in mind I think this is a genius step in re-invigorating denim for a ‘pant-less’ generation.
However, the collection was so much more than just one style of jeans; inspired by an apocalyptic society where technology is rampant, the show fed into the latest tend of ‘dystopian dressing’. These are the designs that Mowalola Ogunlesi imagines us wearing when we are fighting our last battle against the ever-expanding world of tech.
Photo Credits: Mowalola
DILARA
Dilara Findikoglu is a designer of Turkish heritage. In light of the recent earthquake that has had disastrous consequences in Tukey and Syria, Dilara used her Fashion Week spotlight to platform the disaster and urge the public to make donations to relief campaigns. But this was not the only way that Dilara used her voice this London Fashion Week, the collection titled ‘Not a Man’s Territory’ had feminism at its core.
Each look contributed to the story of women reclaiming their lives, bodies and fashion choices in a world that has been dominated and dictated by men. Inspired by the protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran last November, the collection fights back against the treatment of women’s bodies as location for discourse; why should a woman’s decision on what to do with or put on her body be open to discussion? The answer is simple, it shouldn’t.
Photo credits: DILARA
Words by: Amelia Gregory
Header Image: British Fashion Council
