After seeing new and household brands at NYFW, we packed our luggage on September 15 and flew straight back home to the UK. Known for our iconically cool designers and experimental looks,this year London lived up to its trend-setting reputation. Think exciting dance performances at DiPetsa, scandalous PG 25 looks at Mowalola, and lots of underwear, gorpcore, and union jacks.But with so many shows and jaw-dropping moments, it’s hard to keep up with the who’s-who ofthe European fashion capital– especially with the Spring Summer 2024 calendar coinciding withthe back-to-work season. So we’re here to give you the 101 on the trends and collections of ourfavorite London legends. Oh, and you can catch-up your friends on these new styles now and thank us in a few months when they rave about how right you were.
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Di Petsa
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First up, London’s opening act: Di Petsa. Her SS24 collection ‘Reflections of Venus’ was inspired by the Greek Goddess of love. The show took us on a journey of womanhood filled with symbolism toward the deity, creating an ethereal dream of eroticism. Nude and ivory loose dresses depicted feminine purity, followed by references to sensual awakenings through revealing and tight-fitting silhouettes.
What followed was an embrace of dark femininity with long sheer, black gowns, and a woman holding an ancient jug to her belly, as if pregnant, to represent motherhood. But perhaps the most jaw-drawing moment was the show’s start: a naked model was surrounded by women who, led by Petsa herself, caressed and danced around her before she emerged in a metallic gold gown. Birth of Venus, indeed.
Some garments had Swarovski healing crystals as a nod to self-love, and the closing look was reminiscent of a wedding dress which, to some, is the culmination of love. The Greek designer masterfully weaved references to the birth of Venus myth, with colours tones of sea foam sculpted bikinis, and her now infamous wet-look conveying (quite literally) the goddess’ emergence from the sea. Despite her show last year making a splash, it’s her storytelling and embrace of the divine feminine this year that makes Di Petsa a must-watch name in our list.
Mowalola
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NSFW graphic tees, hentai emblazoned polos, micro belt skirts, and barely-there undies, alongside makeup fetishising a car crash. Who else could create such a scandalous and carnal collection other than the dark-humoured Mowalola Ogunlesi?
But the Nigerian-born designer has a reason for it: she stumbled upon the 1995 erotic thriller ‘Crash’ and was instantly inspired.Thus the collection was filled with skin-bearing designs and clothes that spiked an uproar. Of course, she filled the runway with an array of political criticisms and jabs to the elite too; hats, cycling dresses, and leather skirts were filled with distressed Union Jacks and Japanese or Chinese flags, all while Donald Trump screamed ‘China, Chins, China’ in the background.
There was even a direct stab at the late Karl Lagerfeld, as two models conjoined at the arms walked in an oversized version of his ‘only4slim people’ micro tee. Other models walked in twos as well, in a way that Mowalola says “is giving twin-personality”.
With Irina Shayk opening the show in a metallic silver dress and Kanye West (a.k.a. Ye) and his new wife Bianca Censori watching from the front row Mowalola has certified itself as the IT-brand in popular culture.
Natasha Zinko
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London-based designer Natasha Zinko is another designer that stole the show on day one, debuting her SS24 collection ‘THE CAMP’. She took the camping theme for a streetwear-esque spin, with meldingutilitarian and gorpcore aesthetics decorating models fiercely stomped down the runway.
As well as referencing camping on holiday, Zinko also referenced the lifestyle through the journey of humans nomad origins to present day. All about cropped hoodies, wide sweatpants, caps, and cargo pants, the concept is also a nod to the war in her home country of Ukraine, present in the backpacks that doubled as vests, distressed textiles, and nylon reminiscent of tents’ material. Zinko transformed Soho Square into an emo campsite, even gathering a crowd of curious onlookers outside.
But what we loved the most about the show was her desire to normalize underwear. She said: “In a polarised world, one thing that unites us is underwear. We all wear it; we all travel with it, stuff it in suitcases; so why do we hide it?.”
Sinead Gorey
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It doesn’t get more British than Sinead Gorey’s ‘Summer of Love’ collection. For her debut show, she paid ode to her London roots and teenage rave years by creating the ultimate clubwear collection, charged with references to her Britishness. Described in her own words as, “That’s Sarcasm, pubs, unpredictable weather, and a love of partying.”
Punk, rave, and Britpop themes were present in the acid bright colours, weed graphics, wool two pieces, and lacy biker shorts.There were even explicit references to UK culture, with patch worked stripes nodding at Kate Moss’ legendary 2005 picture at Glastonbury and Ginger Spice’s iconic Union Jacks boots.
The show also debuted her collab with Buffallo, showing off the studded leather mules and bondage platforms. With her signature playfulness and bright colors, Gorey is soon to become a staple for British party girls everywhere.
SRVC
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For his debut at LFW, Ricky Wesley Harriott honed in on a feeling we all know and love to hate: FOMO. The appropriately named ‘Wish I Were Here’ collection exposes how the perfection of the holiday getaways we see on social media is false, distorting clothes in a way that calls out that infamous digital face tune.
Think distorted blazers, upside-down knitwear, and cropped hoodies accentuating to-tiny waists. The Tottenham-born designer also stayed true to his signature style, showcasing transformable clothes that can be worn from the office straight to the club. From cargo pants with adjustable waistbands to leather jackets with removable sleeves, SRVC focused on melding a sci-fi utilitarian aesthetic with elevated quality. With the brand finally launching in big retailers like Selfridges this year, Harriot is the newcomer to watch.
KNWLS
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Is there anything more iconic than having Mia Khalifa close your show? We don’t think so, it’s been an exciting two weeks for the South London-based brand Knwls, debuting their collab with Gaultier at NYFW just before having a LFW show that ended in hoots and hollers. For their ‘Petrol’ SS24 collection, designers Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault stuck to their staples– but that didn’t mean it wasn’t innovative.
Brand superfans will recognize the signature corsets and broken leather jackets strutting down the runway, only this time they came with a rebellious twist. Feminine silhouettes contrasted with jagged spikes, scratched-out camo, and new denim washes, elevated the classics to match the theme. Inspired by a ‘need for speed’, the pair stirred up looks that seem to be fresh out of the races– and as scandalously muddy and dirty as this would expect. After partnering with a titan like Gaultier, there’s no doubt that the cult label Knwls is soon to be thrown into a stardom.
Ahluwalia
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For her SS24 show titled ‘Acknowledgements’, designer Priya Ahluwalia focused on just that: acknowledging history’s unspoken heroes. Appropriately hosted at the cultural hub that is the British Library, the collection was filled with references to iconic figures such as Marsha P.Johnson, the 60s LGBTQ activist and drag queen.
‘Illusion knitwear’ predominated, challenging viewers to take a closer look at the clothes (and history). But what’s been causing waves post-show has been her blend of occasion wear, as she styled tracksuits under slinky party tops and beach skirts with buttons up. There’s no doubt that those double-breasted suits with neon blue striping on the sides will be everywhere in 2024.
Label signatures like the saturated orange, green, and brown colors were seen on trendy items like football shirts, flowing gowns, and varsity jackets. Zebra prints, floral motifs, and graphics of indigenous sculptures paid homage to the Ahluwalia’s African heritage, while the ‘A’ emblem seen embroidered throughout the collection directly referenced her initial. With a standing ovation as she came out at the end of the show, Ahluwalia’s success is just getting started.
Words by Alexia De Las Heras
Header Image by @mowalola
