Abbey Road, aliens and Withnail: London fashion week autumn/winter 2025

The Guardian

26-02-2025

Steven Stokey-Daley's AW25 outing was a celebration of all things British, from his take on the donkey jacket, duffle coat and trench through to British milled heritage checks. Daley's hallmarks, such as a dog motif on a T-shirt, played against a burgundy cardigan embroidered with salt and spice shakers interspersed with 'Marianne Faithfull' jumper. Bursts of colour were inspired by the work of Scottish colourists, Francis Cadell and John Duncan Fergusson, whose influence was seen in the felted image of a woman on a smock dress and a watercolour-infused men's trench coat
Daniel Lee turned in a vintage Burberry collection for AW25, with a casting of actors from iconic British films and TV: Richard E Grant, Leslie Manville and Ṣopé Dìrísù, alongside catwalk legends Naomi Campbell and Erin O'Connor. Focus was on outerwear, from versions of the house trench in heavy tartan and check, with scarves attached, to embossed leather creations belted at the waist to oversized patchwork shearling bombers. Women's trenches that spliced into fringing and swayed from the hips were interspersed with devore smock dresses. This was Lee at his best
Every season, Labrum's creative director Foday Dumbaya celebrates immigration and its cultural importance. This time, he looked to London's rich music history for inspiration – showing at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. He worked with the Mercury award winning jazz quintet, Ezra Collective, who played the backing music for some of the UK's pioneering grime artists, including Akala and Ghetts. In between their sets, models walked on stage in the brand's signature pieces, such as boxy tailoring and denim shirting, as well as the latest accessories designed in collaboration with Adidas
In just two years, Paolo Carzana has established himself as a LFW hot ticket. Following last season's showcase in his back garden, Carzana showed the final part of his Trilogy of Hope in a tiny Clerkenwell pub to an intimate audience of 60, including Sir Paul Smith (whose foundation provides free studio space in nearby Smithfields to young designers, including Carzana). The 14 handmade looks took Toulouse Lautrec as a reference point on silhouette and the delicacy of line and colour. Natural dyes were applied by Carzana using paint brushes and spraying and rolling techniques
For AW25, Jawara Alleyne explored the principals of construction in both architecture and clothing. Construction is Alleyne's jam; his held-together-with-safety-pins déshabillé signature look was still evident in the shredded jersey looks, but the production levels were slicker. A triple-layered men's polo and T-shirt look cleverly spliced stripes to appear as checks when the model moved. While the womenswear evolved to include red carpet-worthy draped gowns in heavier fabrications that Alleyne's fanbase, which includes Rihanna, Charli XCX and Shakira, will no doubt adore
Gemma Collins front row in a ruffled coat at 9am on a rainy Monday morning wasn't on our London fashion week bingo card, but it was a welcome addition. The TV star was up early for sequin king Ashish's show. Ashish always brings the sparkle underscored with a wry commentary on the state of the world. Tops emblazoned with the slogan 'It's a shit show' and a stripy jumper declaring 'Up Yours' put two fingers up at the state of the world with some much needed light relief through sequins and dressing up. 'It's an expression on how apocalyptic the world feels right now,' he said
Showing off schedule on Thursday evening – supported by Hi-Fi, a non-profit programme run by creative agency Hidden that nurtures emerging talent – Central Saint Martin's graduate, Maximilian Raynor's fashion week debut displayed accomplished craftsmanship for a fledgling designer. Titled Welcome to the Un-United Kingdom , the collection imagined a world in 3025 run by self-serving billionaires. 'Design is an indispensable art form that allows us to escape and/or reflect our times. I hope my storytelling, has the power to incite genuine reflection.' he said in his show notes
Tolu Coker is becoming one of the buzziest designers in London. For this collection, she was taken with how dress codes within the African diaspora have evolved with migration. She honoured the Aldura churches from Lagos to London and the ritual attire of Black spiritual traditions in Louisiana and Haiti as well as the ceremonial dress of communities across Brazil and Cuba, which she blended with British trademarks like white poplin shirting and tartan which draw on her London roots. A sophisticated and empowered presentation which leaves us excited for what the designer does next
Roksanda took inspiration for her masterfully sculptural collection from the work of British artist Phyllida Barlow, whose pioneering approach to form and sculpture resonated with Ilinčić. Prints were created from a fusion of techniques, such as scanning objects like leftover plastic materials, mirrored surfaces and cardboard, overlaid with bold painted strokes, replicating the late artist's use of fabrications such as cardboard, tape and paint. Highlights came as enveloping oversized evening coats, vivid coloured slim satin asymmetric dresses and voluminous silhouetted tailoring
Entitled Venus from Chaos, AW25 was inspired by the proverbial home of women – the planet Venus. Though we were sitting in a Bergein-coded club in Angel – which is home to one of London's most famous goth nights, Slimelight – the other-worldly models stalking the runway took us to another dimension. From Lara Stone who opened the show in head-to-toe hyper-corsetry to Hannelore Knuts in a body-skimming second-skin mesh dress, the girls were like an army of alien romantics sent to hypnotise the audience into joining their witchy feminist sect – eye contact, included
A starry line-up of actors from Fiona Shaw to Andrea Riseborough walked the runway under the chandeliers of the grand Goldsmith's Hall for Simone Rocha's latest show. Aesop's fables The Tortoise and the Hare and School Days Haze were the inspiration, brimming full of signature design details including bold-shoulders, tiered volumes, pearl edging and floating ribbon. A tougher edge came with denim jackets, utilitarian trenches and oversized leather bikers, faux fur was in abundance from fluffy jackets to models carrying stuffed hares instead of handbags
The peacockery and pageantry of British heraldry was the starting point of Denzil Patrick's collection. The husband-and-husband designer duo, Daniel Gayle and James Bosley, took inspiration from archaic British nobility and jousters inspired by cult classic movie Knightriders, as well as speedway racers and medieval clergymen, but gave them a soft touch – be it a feather fluttering behind a strong lapel or a sheeny duchesse satin which was transformed into an XL trench coat. Shield-shaped bags and silver breastplates worn as vests bolstered the archaic military-coded aesthetic
Though it's true that Chet Lo is always one of the most exciting slots on the LFW schedule, AW25 felt like a step up for the Asian American designer. While some of his trademark tropes were present – namely mini spikes in merino wool – he introduced more tailoring and outerwear in a toned down and elevated colour palette of navy, burgundy and grey. The motifs which adorned ties, knitwear and dresses were a reinterpretation of misrepresented Western depictions of Asian culture, like tiger prints or cloud motifs, which the designer rehashed in an authentic way
Erdem collaborated with artist Kaye Donachie for his AW25 collection. Whom he previously commissioned to paint his late mother's portrait; a version of which appeared on the opening look, a slashed-neck column dress. Donachie's portraits are not literal depictions but abstractions, based on research and instinct. Erdem used the ethereal paintings on organza dresses, bodices, full skirts and voluminous coats. Trousers were notably absent from the collection silhouette, giving way to archetypal feminine shapes that included skirt suits with sculpted bubble skirts and nipped waist jackets
Talent incubator Fashion East's line-up kicked off with Olly Shinder, now in his fourth season. Shinder played with his interpretation of utilitarian and military with a twist on the traditional gender-coded aesthetic. Louther's designer Olympia Schiele drew on the spirit of underground London, utilising deadstock fabrics to create unusual silhouettes. Meanwhile, Nuba founders Cameron Williams and Jebi Labembika blended their jersey suiting with cleverly layered and wrapped garments, while flashes of satin blue cobalt added fluidity