London CNN –
Since its inaugural season in 1984, London has been known as the spirited, raucous birthplace of now world-famous designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. Perhaps fittingly, as London Fashion Week enters its 40th year, there was palpable energy surrounding the emerging British talent that populated the program, which concluded on Tuesday.
It was a smorgasbord of the strange and wonderful at the Central Saint Martins Masters Degree Show on Friday. Menswear design student Jonathon Ferris gave viewers a “Be John Malkovich” moment as he sent runway models out onto the street wearing identical masks in his likeness. Moments later, during the unveiling of Maximilian Raynor's final collection, a militant fallen angel strode down the runway with bells woven into his knitted wingspan. Harris Reed, who has unofficially secured the number one spot on the programme, served whiskey cocktails to a growing crowd of fans in the hallowed halls of Tate Britain. The collection was inspired by Victoriana and particularly 19th century shadow puppets.
Nostalgia was also a common reference point this season, albeit interpreted in a variety of ways. Not one, but two Gen Z designers – Conner Ives and Sinead Gorey – embraced technology Relics of the Apple empire that transport the viewer to another time. Ives showed off an iPod nano and wired headphones in his latest look, while Gorey repurposed the iPod shuffles as hair clips. Other designers went even further back in time. Erdem's latest season – which was inspired by the 20th-century American-Greek soprano Maria Callas – conjured images of antiquated elegance: elbow gloves, cocktail dresses with theatrical shawl draping and opera capes.
JW Anderson
Rolled silver wigs were a staple of the JW Anderson show.
Meanwhile, London Fashion Week veteran Jonathan Anderson celebrated the rise of nostalgia by styling the models in his show in silver permed wigs – a nod to a bygone era of British life where nosy neighbors chatted over washing lines and sewed their own clothes . He told reporters after the show that he was excited to see younger people discovering nostalgia. “Suddenly a song from 50 years ago can become number one,” he said. “And that’s exciting.”
The guests at the Burberry show were also transported back in time to the 2000s. The late Amy Winehouse's singing voice echoed through the purpose-built tent in Victoria Park, east London, as a number of millennial models, including Lily Cole and Agyness Deyn, walked the catwalk.
The ever-present Western trend has captivated several London designers this season. Cowboy hats at the Edward Crutchley show came in a variety of styles: black, white, or handmade from a woven Moroccan tapestry, courtesy of Stephen Jones' Hat Fashion. At Molly Goddard's show over the weekend, Western-style shirts and flat leather cowboy boots punctuated the designer's signature breezy tulle dresses. “The whole Western thing seems to be all over the place at the moment,” Goddard told British Vogue, “but my perspective is probably very different to that of people like Beyoncé.”
Ben Broomfield
Molly Goddard offered her own twist on the growing cowboycore trend with western sweatshirts and high boots.
Ben Broomfield
Fashion's love for ranch-inspired styles continues.
Fluffy, fluffy or fine: faux fur was an important textile on the London catwalks. Simone Rocha called her show the final part of a collection triptych, starting with her spring-summer collection shown in September, a guest appearance as designer for Jean Paul Gaultier Couture in Paris last month and now their latest fall-winter 2024 line. According to the show notes, “The Wake” explored Queen Victoria's mourning dress and featured a flurry of faux fur. The uses were endless, from coats and oversized mittens to fur-trimmed tulle capes, shoes and even earrings.
At Conner Ives, faux fur scarves were also casually paired with tank tops and jeans, while Precious Lee walked the runway with a removable hood made of the fabric tied tightly under her chin. Sinead Gorey, on the other hand, created winter underwear by decorating corsets and bras with tufts of dyed polyester fur.
I am Aldama
At Conner Ives, faux fur scarves and hoods brought a touch of winter glamor to the collection.
Form and function rarely met this season, especially for those who enjoy the great outdoors. Emerging designer Johanna Parv created the design with the intention of protecting its wearer “for all eventualities, 24/7,” the collection notes say. Paying particular attention to the inner-city cyclist, Parv designed tops that can be stretched over a backpack or an insulated miniskirt “that keeps the wearer's bottom warm on the saddle.”
At Burberry, designer Daniel Lee had the wilds of the British Isles in mind when he created his third collection for the brand, which featured a plethora of outerwear in thick, cozy fabrics like plush wool, shearling and moleskin.
Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images
Johanna Parv has designed shirts that can be stretched over backpacks and protect walkers, cyclists or even hikers from the outdoor elements.
Raincoats and anoraks have been reinvented by Irish designer Robyn Lynch, who collaborated this season with 1970s athleisure brand CP Company. Lynch upcycled outerwear from the Italian sportswear label's previous collections, reinterpreting silhouettes and adding knit layers. In one look, the flowing, romantic shape of a white rain poncho is reminiscent of an Elizabethan blackwork shirt. Also at Simone Rocha, a nylon windbreaker with a drawstring hood is transformed into a voluminous ball gown and cinched at the waist with an embellished wasp corset; while another is completely transparent.
Ben Broomfield/Ben Broomfield @photobenphoto
For Simone Rocha, a raincoat becomes the beauty of the ball.
Chris Yates
Robyn Lynch gave the white anorak a romantic silhouette during her fall-winter 2024 show.
Chris Yates
She breathed new life into old garments by collaborating with 70s sportswear brand CP Company.
Joe Maher/Getty Images
Fashion queen Naomi Campell starred in Burberry's latest fashion show in London.
Filippo Fior
Daniel Lee clearly had nature in mind when he designed cozy outerwear to stay warm.
Burberry
High-collared shearling jackets were detailed with horsebit buckles and hardware.
Giovanni Giannoni/WWD/Getty Images
Erdem was a vision of mid-20th century elegance.
Jason Lloyd Evans
The Erdem show at the British Museum featured dresses with integrated shawl drapes.
Jason Lloyd Evans
Elbow gloves and reimagined opera coats were everywhere on Erdem's runway.
Marc Hibbert
Harris Reed's collection entitled “Shadow Puppets” was inspired by the 19th century art form.
JW Anderson
Jonathan Anderson's collection is reminiscent of 1950s housewives wearing the closest thing to hanging clothes on the clothesline.
JW Anderson
“We wanted to do something psychological this time,” Anderson said. “The idea of the grotesque and the pragmatic.”
Ben Broomfield
Faux fur was a major theme at the Simone Rocha show, with patches such as hip or shoulder pads used to alter the silhouette.
Ben Broomfield
The textile was also used in more classic, archetypal ways – with opulent robe-style coats.
Eamonn M McCormack/Getty Images
Sinead Gorey recontextualized the iPod Shuffle as a hair clip.
I am Aldama
Old-school music technology made another appearance on the Conner Ives show, in a final appearance wearing embroidered headphones.
I am Aldama
Precious Lee wore a removable fur hood.
Maja Smiejkowska
Edward Crutchley drew inspiration from cultures around the world and fashioned woven tapestries into skirts, jackets and cowboy hats.
Dilara Findikoglu
Dilara Findikoglu's show, performed in a neo-Gothic church in east London, was a twisted fantasy.
Dilara Findikoglu
The skirts were structurally designed to appear permanently bloated at Findikoglu's fall-winter 2024 show.
Dilara Findikoglu
One of the final looks featured a wig made entirely of silver keys.
Dilara Findikoglu
Latex, tulle and Margiela-style face masks were abundant in Findikoglu's “Femme Vortex.”
Chris Yates
Sinead O'Dwyer, whose collection was inspired by a not-so-appropriate take on office wear, led the diverse cast this season.
Chris Yates
Lottie Moss, Kate Moss' half-sister, made an appearance on Sinead O'Dwyer's catwalk.
Rosas Sune/WWD/Getty Images
Model on the catwalk at Molly Goddard RTW Fall 2024 as part of London Ready to Wear Fashion Week held at Cecil Sharp House on February 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Aitor Rosas Sune/WWD via Getty Images)
Ben Broomfield
Molly Goddard's ruffled, feminine creations are given a new twist in moodier colors like maroon and black.
Ahluwalia
Ahluwalia's collection drew on ancient Indian and Nigerian folklore and fairy tales.
Ahluwalia
The label also collaborated with Levi's this season to create unique, reworked denim pieces.
Matthew Aland
Bright, printed designs in Ahluwalia's collection reference the body painting technique specific to the Igbo people of Nigeria.