Feature · fashion
Glitz, glamour and going out: London Fashion Week returns to the spectacle
The UK capital was back in full swing this season, with a packed physical schedule and an electric atmosphere.
Spirits were high, masks were scarce and the shows were packed. More than 50 labels on the schedule chose to present in person, with the overarching theme for many catwalks being go big or go home. It spoke to a genuine appreciation of the craft, and a palpable desire for normality.
Although there was a healthy dose of make-believe on offer (James Walsh, a womenswear graduate from Central Saint Martins, fashioned a bustier and pair of shorts out of a tree trunk), the impending removal of coronavirus restrictions in the UK meant some brands left reverie at the door and kept one eye on commercial viability.
“When we started doing collections over the pandemic, it was just about fantasy,” American designer Michael Halpern told CNN. “And now that we’re going back to a collection where part of it will go into stores, you have to be mindful of both worlds.”
Read on for more takeaways from the London shows.
Next generation
British designer Matty Bovan, winner of the 2021 Woolmark Prize, created his collection in America. Credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images
Harris Reed was inspired by the royal wardrobe and Elizabethan-era makeup. Credit: Marc Hibbert
Reed’s designs were “a queerer interpretation of kings…and kweens,” according to the show notes. Credit: Marc Hibbert
The absence of fashion week heavyweights Burberry, Victoria Beckham and J.W. Anderson meant there was ample space for a new cohort of designers to flex their creative muscles. The 25-year-old Harris Reed staged a regal presentation of his new gender-fluid designs in a baroque-styled Westminster church, while Yuhan Wang — who graduated in 2016 — caught our attention with her tasseled leather suits, faux-fur coats and the inclusion of her cat, Misty.
Yuhan Wang sent her cat, Misty (far right), down the runway. Credit: Tristan Fewings/BFC/Getty
James Walsh produced a matching tree trunk set for the Central Saint Martins show. Credit: Stuart Wilson/BFC/Getty
Life of the party
Whether it be a moving orchestral rendition of Olivia Rodrigo’s “traitor” at the Richard Quinn show, a German shoegaze band at Bora Aksu or Sam Smith performing at Reed’s presentation, live music was back in a big way this season as designers truly celebrated the return of physical shows after many had gone virtual amid the pandemic. It was the Roaring ’20s for RIXO, who presented their new gilded-age collection against the grandiose backdrop of Goldsmith’s Hall, while Conner Ives partied like it was 1999 with face-gems, plaster-white under-eye concealer and silk halter neck tops.
RIXO stage an ultra-glam presentation at Goldsmith’s Hall in central London. Credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images
Halpern’s new collection prioritized glitter, sequins and dramatic fringing. Credit: Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images
British designer Richard Quinn soundtracked his runway with a live orchestra. Credit: Yui Mok
Butterfly clips, beaded sarongs and face-gems gave the Conner Ives show a ’90s feel. Credit: Jeff Spicer/BFC/Getty
This was the American designer’s first London Fashion Week runway. Credit: Jeff Spicer/BFC/Getty Images
Richard Quinn’s designs were often larger than life. Credit: Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images
As were Molly Goddard’s signature taffeta ruffles. Credit: Jason Lloyd Evans
Goddard created perfect partywear for Autumn-Winter 2022. Credit: Jason Lloyd Evans
While Quinn turned elegant evening wear on it’s head. Credit: Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images Europe/Gareth Cattermole/Getty
Bora Aksu staged his runway inside a mesmerizing church in South London. Credit: Shane Anthony Sinclair/BFC/Getty Images
Banding together
There were some notable collaborations this season, with London-based label Roksanda creating an array of glamping-wear with the help of sports brand Fila, including wellies and windbreakers that looked more like ball gowns, as well as a puffer jacket large enough to sleep in. Matty Bovan’s club kid take on Americana similarly included repurposed pieces by Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein and Converse All-Star.
Roksanda collaborated with Fila on a range of glamping looks. Credit: Estrop/WireImage
Matty Bovan upcycled pieces from a range of designers in his Autumn-Winter 2022 collection. Credit: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty
Roksanda held its catwalk inside the Tate Britain. Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Images/Getty Images
Sex sells
Skin was front and center at the Nensi Dojaka show. Credit: NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFP/Getty Images
Similarly at S.S. Daley, less was more. Credit: Jeff Spicer/BFC/Getty Images
The Fashion East runway gave a new meaning to the term “open shirt.” Credit: Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty
Richard Quinn used latex, dominatrix suits and skin-tight silhouettes in his collection. Credit: Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images
Rising star Nensi Dojaka successfully forged a seductive winter wardrobe by swapping mesh for velvet in her lingerie-inspired Autumn-Winter 2022 show; while British menswear designer Steven Stokey-Daley (of S.S. Daley) veered away from his typical output of bold shirts and Argyle knits to experiment with stripping back — literally. One of his more memorable looks included nothing but a leather waistcoat, black underwear and a pair of sock suspenders.
Famous faces
Idris Elba closed the Ozwald Boateng show, held at the Savoy Theatre in London. Credit: Richard Young/Shutterstock
“Top Boy” actor Nicholas Pinnock was also in the model lineup. Credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images
Irina Shayk strutted the runway in a fuscia pink shawl-dress. Credit: Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images
Lila Moss made an appearance at the Richard Quinn show, too. Credit: Estrop/WireImage/WireImage
Ozwald Boateng’s landmark show ran on a specific type of starpower. An array of Black talent, including actor Idris Elba and rapper Dizzee Rascal, featured in the model lineup, wearing expertly tailored jewel-toned suits. Richard Quinn also enlisted a handful of familiar faces, including burgeoning model Lila Moss, the daughter of fashion royalty Kate Moss, as well as Irina Shayk and drag queen Violet Chachki.
Top image: RIXO’s Autumn-Winter 2022 presentation.
