5 wearable trends from London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week wrapped up earlier this week, giving us bigger and bolder trends to get our teeth stuck into.
A move away from the bohemian suede and soft silhouettes from last spring/summer, this season honed in on vivid colours, sharp cuts and punk motifs.
Over five brisk days the schedule moved from cavernous show spaces in London’s banking district to candle-lit salons in Mayfair. Big names and independents used the catwalk to test ideas about Britishness, modern workwear and nostalgia.
Burberry re-examined its heritage codes with a punkish twist on tartan, Edeline Lee explored capacious and sculptural silhouettes and the usual leader of ‘quiet luxury’ Emilia Wickstead brought bold colour to the runway.
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Here are the five of the most wearable trends from London Fashion Week.
Twisted tartan
While the rather pared-back form of tartan, black swatch, trended last season, this season it seems Nineties grunge is back, as punk plaid dominated the runways and the street style.
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At Burberry, famous for its heritage tartan, Creative Director Daniel Lee leaned into the prim-come-punk aesthetic.
Burberry took a twist on tartan (Jeff Moore/PA)
Swing coats, trench dresses and mini skirts appeared in acid-green and crimson tartans. It felt like a remix of countryside classics and festival-ready attire – all, of course, remaining unmistakably British.
Model Jourdan Dunn sported head-to-toe tartan on the front row at London Fashion Week (Yui Mok/PA)
Tartan and check is a surprisingly easy print to style. Impactful without being overwhelming, tartan can take centre stage as a statement piece or be styled in a playful clash of patterns.
Suits with ties
Oversized tailoring has been a steady trend for the past few seasons, but this year designers pushed this masculine tailoring trend further, as ties were cropping up on and off the runway.
The H&M180 runway showed the tie trend in full force (James Manning/PA)
No longer a mere office accessory, ties appeared knotted loosely over shirts, tucked under waistcoats or hanging undone from blazers. The trend seems to be inspired by Eighties Wall Street.
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It wasn’t just on the catwalks either. Spotted among street-style and front row, celebs from Emma Willis to Twiggy used ties to punctuate their tailored ensembles – turning boardroom conformity into insouciant cool.
Twiggy sported a tie and tux to the Burberry show (Yui Mok/PA)
Emma Willis wore a pinstripe suit and tie to the Oxfam show (Jeff Moore/PA)
Fringe
Noticeable last season, but affirmed this year, was fringe.
Fringe appeared throughout accessories on the Burberry runway (Jeff Moore/PA)
Usually associated with the Seventies or cowboy westerns, this year, the frenetic trim had a slightly more mature feel, appearing on everything from bags to scarves to sleeves and dresses.
Love Island host Maya Jama wore a fringed gown to Burberry, showing it’s long past its casual, bohemian associations.
Maya Jama wore a navy fringed evening gown on the front row (Yui Mok/PA)
On the runway, Edeline Lee experimented with fringe, forgoing the usual edged hem and opting for head-to-toe swathes of fringing that moved like liquid with every step.
Roksanda also embraced lots of long, swinging fringes and straps dangling from jackets and dresses.
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- Edeline Lee brought fringe in full force (Jeff Moore/PA)
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- Roksand
Sky blue
Perhaps next season’s butter yellow, sky blue was peppered throughout runways alongside pops of its bright cobalt counterpart.
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From Bora Aksu’s frothy, doll-like dresses to Richard Quinn’s opera-worthy gowns, the shade turned up everywhere at London Fashion Week – a cool, almost nostalgic antidote to winter’s heavier tones.
Richard Quinn punctuated his show with powder blue florals (Jeff Moore/PA)
Designers used sky blue to soften sharp silhouettes, to make lace, satin and tailoring feel lighter, and to nod to a very British spring sky.
Bora Aksu showcased baby blue with lace and frills (Jeff Moore/PA)
On the catwalks it ranged from powdery pastels trimmed with white lace to grunge leather trench coats.
Burberry took an edgier approach to sky blue with leather and fringe (Jeff Moore/PA)
Voluminous hems
Bubble hems certainly had their moment this summer, but it seems the voluminous hem isn’t going anywhere, judging by the London Fashion Week runways.
Richard Quinn sent his bride down the runway in a balloon-hemmed wedding dress (Jeff Moore/PA)
Designers such as Edeline Lee and Patrick McDowell doubled down on drama with skirts that billowed like inverted tulips in layers of fabric that swelled and sway as the models walked.
Edeline Lee experimented with hooped skirts (Jeff Moore/PA)
On the catwalk, the look ranged from Richard Quinn’s full-skirted bridal look to Patrick McDowell’s hybrid trench-coat skirt with a Dior ‘New Look’ silhouette.
Patrick McDowell took a vintage approach to the voluminous skirt evoking the Forties Dior silhouette dubbed the ‘New Look’ (Jeff Moore/PA)
London Fashion Week SS26 brought a bold new energy - sharp cuts, punk details, and playful volume ruled the runways. With sky blue softening the edge and tartan taking a rebellious turn, the message was clear: British style is back with bite.
