LFW AW26: Highlights from Pauline Dujancourt, Mithridate, Natasha Zinko and more...
London Fashion Week autumn/winter 2026 continues to be a dynamic showcase of bold concepts, boundary-pushing designs and meaningful narratives.
From Mithridate’s fusion of British heritage and Chinese craftsmanship to Clara Chu’s playful reimagining of everyday objects, the season’s collections reflect creativity, craftsmanship and cultural influences.
In this round-up, TheIndustry.fashion shares more of the defining moments that have shaped the season so far.
Masha Popova bares all with provocative ‘Intimate Hours’ show
Masha Popova’s autumn/winter 2026 collection, “Intimate Hours”, debuted at London Fashion Week under the grand ceilings of The Charterhouse, sending out backless silhouettes, ultra-low rises and hot pants. The collection explored the bedroom as a psychological space, turning nightwear into outerwear and mixing lingerie details with sleepwear motifs, creating a tension between private and performative.
Denim, Popova’s signature, was reinvented into tailored and architectural forms - halter tops tied into oversized bows, corset-like bodices, and flared jeans that fused grungy sensuality with high-fashion structure. Leaf motifs and visible topstitching added texture, highlighting her experimentation with fabrics.
Hot pants, sheer tights, ruffled micro shorts and belted low-rise pieces repeated across the runway, paired with bold colours, cuts and textures.
Popova’s AW26 woman occupied a liminal space between exposure and self-awareness. The grandeur of The Charterhouse heightened the tension, with nightwear-inspired garments elevated into statement outerwear, blending elegance, irreverence and the raw energy of 1990s-2000s fashion.
A family affair at Natasha Zinko AW26
Natasha Zinko showed us what it meant to be part of the family in her AW26 collection under the Waterloo arches. With the smell of fresh graffiti heavy in the air, ‘Family Buziness’ imagined a collection within the context of a fantastical post-Soviet family portrait. Zinko’s models, ranging from infants to octogenarians, demonstrated a zany and sometimes absurd vision of what her customer’s wardrobe looks like.
Watching the 40+ looks, it was hard not to sense some nostalgia for the post-soviet Odessa of the designer’s childhood. From gopnik-esque basketballing cousins (of cobalt leather) to fur-clad babusyas (note, not Babushka), Zinko appeared to channel that distinct era’s unleashed creativity with modernity in mind. As we have seen in New York, fur, mimicking mink, continues to be a standout trend. Zinko made it both an accent and a pillar of her collection, using it in oven gloves, a classic cropped gown, and trimmed opera cape. Backstage she was quick to tell us that it was not real fur that she had used. Perhaps, given the numerous real fur coats in attendance of the show, Zinko’s anti-fur stance is worth noting. Not to mention, aside from the polemics of fur that we are all again seeing, the real caverpoo carried by a model might have had something to say on the matter.
The collection celebrated creativity and the joyful pleasure of collecting fabrics, garments, and doing it yourself. Afterall, it was a family affair. Members of the Zinko household who used to run a denim factory in Odessa (where the designer used to work as a teen) had apparently also been roped in to help the collection come to life. Modern references such as ‘backwards’ garments and the current Y2K trend abounded to demonstrate a commercial edge that went beyond mere story telling. Pieces like cowboy boots, quirky ‘tea-towel’ dresses, and sexy pink négligées clearly had Zinko’s youthful audience in mind. To be clear, she might have intended your granny to wear fur kitten heels capped with dog faces, but Zinko knows who might need such singular shoe.
The most inexplicable (but given the aforementioned shoe perhaps explicable) look was last. None other than a very excited Mel B cantered down the runway in plaid dressing gown fashioned into a tutu with a risqué neckline. Risqué, that is, because Scary Spice showed us that she’s still got her leopard print bra on. The look encapsulated what is clear about the brand’s outlook, fun, sometimes absurd, dressing.
Mithridate presents a blooming fusion of British heritage and Chinese craftsmanship
The autumn/winter 2026 Mithridate collection by Daniel Fletcher explored the theme of arrival, mirroring the brand’s transition from Guangzhou to its new London home. Drawing inspiration from the wisteria plant, which was first brought to Europe from China in the 1800s, the collection blended British sartorial traditions with the expertise of Mithridate’s Chinese atelier.
Key British elements, like tweed coats and pea coats, were fused with vibrant collegiate colours, while numbers, now a Mithridate motif, were reimagined as refined jewellery. Knitwear, including Aran sweaters and Fair Isle jumpers, contrasted with appliqué skirts, showcasing Fletcher’s signature juxtaposition of tradition and modernity.
The collection also celebrates the brand's new home near Borough, London, with prints inspired by local landmarks and wild blooms. Evening wear was reinterpreted with broken-down mini dresses and duffle coats, while hand-beaded overcoats and snow-dusted tailoring added a sense of sophistication and travel.
Blending heritage with innovation, the collection captured Mithridate's evolution, embracing a contemporary uniform that looks forward while honouring its roots. Like the wisteria, the brand has firmly planted itself and is ready to bloom.
Pauline Dujancourt’s collection walks on eggshells (and air)
Pauline Dujancourt’s autumn/winter 2026 collection was a further elaboration of her understated whimsy with a deeply personal core. While her last collection centred on the experience of grief, this show drew inspiration from witchcraft and its persecution. However, these looks were far from pointy hats and broomsticks; they were measured expressions of feminine celebration.
As a reference, the condemnation of feminine power takes on a deliberately modern meaning for Dujancourt, who sees her craft as a means to rewrite historical erasure and celebrate modern womanhood. Models literally walked on eggshells, breaking them into smaller and smaller pieces as the show progressed. The motif served as a continuation of Dujancourt’s avian imagery. This time, however, Dujancourt’s woman purposefully broke the expectations placed before her with sophisticated lightness.
Once again, we saw familiar ethereal house codes, from macramé cross-hatching to crochet inflections. In this collection, these flourishes were incorporated to give us a more wearable wardrobe than in previous collections. As the show notes mention, Dujancourt imagined 'witches at home in their beds, making lace with wooden bobbins.' Dujancourt’s ‘witches’ wore gowns that combined sheer, detailed lace with chiffon silk changeant. When in motion, this pleated combination gave the illusion of smoke with just a hint of Edwardian melodrama. As the collection progressed, we saw not only gowns but more pleated skirts and dresses, speaking to the commercial angle of Dujancourt’s growing brand. Indeed, these witches might soon be in an office near you.
Alongside the clear creative vision, it’s easy to imagine that the individual pieces speak to a Y2K aesthetic that readily embraces chaotic eclecticism. This was most evident in Dujancourt’s range of hand-knitted alpaca-wool accessories. A particular highlight in this category was the woolen hoods, incorporating Dujancourt’s signature cross-hatching, nonchalantly styled over flowing gowns. After all, the modern witch would wear fingerless gloves and a baroque ruff, wouldn’t she?
Leaving the show, it was clear from the hum of the audience that Dujancourt’s artistic vision and well-considered house codes had birthed yet another moving collection, buzzing with celebratory notes.
Edeline Lee celebrates 15 years with surprise book launch and salon-style presentation
Edeline Lee surprised London Fashion Week guests by launching a limited-edition book, Edeline Lee Fifteen Years, instead of holding a traditional runway show. The book documented her 15-year journey, with models presenting the new autumn/winter 2026 collection in a more intimate salon-style setting before the looks circulated upstairs at the Brooklands Bar.
The collection stayed true to Lee’s sculptural, pattern-cut designs but introduced more trousers and separates, signalling both brand growth and a shift in how women dress. Key pieces included high-waisted trousers paired with tailored blazers, offering a more modular, day-to-night look. Bold cobalt blue stood out, adding energy to an otherwise restrained colour palette of navy, rust and ivory.
Texture also played a central role, with pleated capes and embellished blazers adding movement and visual interest. Eveningwear maintained a refined glamour, with a sequinned gold gown exuding understated elegance. The salon format allowed guests to closely appreciate the intricate craftsmanship behind each piece.
While the book launch marked a reflective moment, Lee's collection felt like an evolution rather than nostalgia, reaffirming her design ethos while looking forward to the future of her brand.
Julien Macdonald delivers maximalist glamour in comeback show
Julien Macdonald returned to London Fashion Week for autumn/winter 2026 with a dazzling rooftop show at The Shard. Guests sipped martinis as sequinned, sculpted silhouettes paraded against the glittering skyline, signaling the Welsh designer’s first runway since restructuring his business in 2023 and a revival of unapologetic glamour.
The collection featured metallic, body-skimming gowns, sharply cut column dresses, and sheer, cut-out pieces, all accented with sequins and feathers for dramatic flair. Micro silhouettes and feathered robes balanced overt sensuality with movement, creating dynamic, red-carpet-ready moments.
Backless gowns, plunging necklines, and high-cut bodysuits dominated, with key looks - like a pale green sequin gown with a deep V and front slit - blending glamour with ease. Despite the autumn/winter label, the collection stayed party-focused, prioritising drama over seasonal convention.
Hints of commercial appeal emerged in streamlined sequinned dresses and cocktail pieces, signaling a shift toward accessible luxury. Over two decades after being named British Fashion Designer of the Year and succeeding Alexander McQueen at Givenchy, Macdonald’s formula of sequins, skin, and show-stopping silhouettes remains intact, delivering a high-octane, joyful return.
Clara Chu celebrates the beauty of the everyday object
Clara Chu debuted at London Fashion Week for autumn/winter 2026, returning to the brand's core circular philosophy. The collection asks: how can we coexist with all the objects around us? It focused on transforming mundane, mass-produced items into unexpected, contemporary designs through play and experimentation.
This season centred on the elastic band - cheap, functional, often overlooked, but vital in connecting, binding and holding. The show notes suggested the joy lies in discovering a "good" one, with the right stretch and resilience. Designed for the temporary, elastic adapts, endures and leaves a mark over time.
Rubber, flexibility and elasticity shaped the collection, with pieces that loop, flex and fasten. Everyday items like upholstery offcuts, oven mitts and jar seal rings were reimagined and repurposed. Accessories changed with use, emphasising the lifecycle of materials.
The presentation returned to Clara Chu’s DIY roots, elevating the everyday without losing its inherent simplicity. The big idea? We create and live with countless objects. How can we handle them with more thoughtfulness, creativity, and play?
