What was set to be one of the most exciting London Fashion Weeks of recent years - thanks to the return of numerous big-name designers and an action-packed calendar - took on a very different form than expected, following the sad news of the Queen's death. With Britain and much of the wider world in mourning, the event was drastically scaled back, parties cancelled and some shows rescheduled 'as a mark of respect' – while those that went ahead did so with a sombre mood hanging overhead.
But while London Fashion Week's SS23 season might not have been nearly as glitzy as planned, the importance of celebrating the city's immense talent, creativity and months of hard work prevailed – and the global fashion community turned out en masse in support of Britain's designers. From all of the most poignant Queen tributes and thoughtful details, to the surprising appearances and most exciting new names to know, these are all of the biggest moments from London Fashion Week SS23:
Harris Reed's Fantastical Tribute
The 26-year-old fashion wunderkind was one of the first designers to open LFW this season, and what a way to kick off proceedings. Reed hosted his first-ever runway show in the grand, velvet-draped surrounds of Dutch Hall, that provided a perfectly dramatic backdrop for his twelve, typically larger-than-life looks – many of which were crafted using upcycled materials and deadstock. The show was infinitely joyous and fantastical, closing with a heartfelt tribute to the late Queen as a Harris Reed bride walked the runway holding a bouquet of Her Majesty’s favourite flowers, Lily of the Valley, to the sounds of Adam Lambert singing 'Who Wants to Live Forever?’
Fashion East's New Names To Know
It was all change at the talent incubator this season, as alumnus Chet Lo showed under his own name for the first time and Maximilian Davis moved on to the top job at Ferragamo. The new names to know? Standing Ground, Michael Stewart's modern eveningwear brand; Karoline Vitto, the Brazilian-born, London-based designer focusing on female empowerment and size inclusivity; and the ever-brilliant Jawara Alleyne, which went out with a bang for its final season with Fashion East.
The Chopova Lowena Tribe
The London-based duo's safety-pinned pleated kilts are a cult item with plenty of disciples (just see this season's street style photos), so it was high time for Chopova Lowena to host their first-ever show on the LFW schedule. The casting was epic and as real as it gets, made up of the brand's community of friends who stomped down the runway with confidence and purpose in punk-inspired looks designed specifically for them. The vibe? Angsty Noughties teenagers, who are more safety pins and Buffalos than body-con minis – and all the cooler for it.
Molly Goddard's Western Accents
Big, bright and beautiful as ever, Molly Goddard's show was a celebration of bold colours and her signature, sophisticated breezy ruffles – 'clothes for having fun in,' as she put it herself. New on the agenda were cowboy boots, that we have no doubt will sell out almost as soon as they hit stores later this year, plus an expanded, softer take on menswear, fairytale scene-prints, hyper-trendy hot pinks and purples, stripe layers and a finale featuring three epic bridal gowns.
Keep An Eye On Masha Popova
Each season has its breakout star, and for SS23 it was undoubtedly Ukrainian-born designer Masha Popova. The Central Saint Martins graduate interned at Margiela and Celine before founding her eponymous, denim-dominant brand that has already found fans in Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Bella Hadid. Unsurprisingly given her heritage, Popova's first-ever runway show was tinged with darkness and anger, 'her imagined muse driving rapidly at night to forget the woes of the world' as per the show notes. Entitled 'RUSH', the SS23 collection featured oil spill-inspired graphics and tire marks emblazoned across aggressively acid-washed, Noughties-inspired denim separates – and we want the lot.
Nensi Dojaka's Belle Of The Lingerie Ball
Just three seasons in, LVMH Prize-winner Nensi Dojaka is already one of the hottest shows on the LFW calendar and boasts a loyal coterie of international fans. For SS23, the designer presented new takes on her much-loved, lingerie-inspired classics as well as introducing lace, denim, Barbie-pink hues, crystal-strewn shoes and high-octane eveningwear for the first time. The highlight? Emily Ratajkowski closing the show in a limited-edition gown crafted from deadstock materials.
The JW Anderson Arcade
Jonathan Anderson marked his much-anticipated return to the London Fashion Week calendar with a fun-filled show inside a 24-hour arcade in Soho. On a make-shift runway lined with slot machines and neon-illuminated games, an impressive cast of models including Emily Ratajkowski, Lily McMenamy and Ella Emhoff presented the British designer's humour-filled, technology-inspired SS23 collection – featuring everything from keyboard button embellishments, screensavers and stock images to a fairground prize goldfish bag dress. Not one to ignore the mood of the moment, however, he closed the show with something significantly less tongue-in-cheek: a black t-shirt dress featuring the words 'Her Majesty The Queen, 1926-2022, Thank you.'
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Marco Capaldo's second solo show was a triumph in eveningwear: the perfect, most covetable mix of sophisticated glamour and head-turning, hot girl details. Or, as the show notes put it, 'clothes with stories to tell the morning after', from floor-skimming coats in luxe satins and extravagant marabou feathers, to sexy snake prints, studded leather mini-dresses and crystal-encrusted, super-short skirts with fabulous flashes of flesh aplenty. We're not exaggerating when we say we wanted every. single. piece.
Rejina Pyo Romance
High above the city's skyline in the light-filled skyscraper Hylo, Rejina Pyo presented a collection of ultra-wearable workwear for the modern, stylish woman. Aptly entitled 'Love and Work', a beautifully diverse cast of models showed off the ultimate wardrobe of slouchy tailoring, failsafe chic dresses smart denim and everyday accessories – alongside a few sexier, sheer pieces that are delightfully not office appropriate.
Halpern's Barbie Girls
Best known for his sequinned disco aesthetic and love of unabashed glamour, Michael Halpern opened his LFW show a little differently this season. In a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, the show began in total silence with a look inspired by the late monarch: a billowing pale blue silk cape in majestic silk taffeta and a mint green headscarf. It was a poignant and touching moment, before the dramatic music blared and models hit the runway in the brand’s signature party-ready outfits. Looks featuring sumptuous velvets, bold leopard prints, sequins and XXL puff sleeves were inspired by childhood memories, while the latter part of the collection celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Barbie Dreamhouse with iconic throwback looks reimagined for the modern woman.
Erdem In Mourning
SS23 saw Erdem depart somewhat from its ultra-polished, buttoned-up aesthetic, with a breathtaking show held among the columns of the British Museum on the evening before the Queen's funeral. Beautiful as ever with a tinge of melancholy, the collection was all about understated elegance with a procession of sheer black veils, lightly distressed ballet dresses featuring pulled threads and fronds trailing at the neckline, flat brogues, monk shoes, and subdued, natural beauty looks.
Christopher Kane's Return To LFW
LFW favourite Christopher Kane made a memorable return to the calendar with a 1,000-guest-strong show in Camden's cavernous Roundhouse venue. Following a one-minute silence to honour the Queen, as the final scheduled show ahead of the late monarch's funeral, models emerged in a mix of revamped Kane classics (bold florals, sparkles, asymmetrical shapes and high-low mixes of slouchy knitwear and slinky skirts) and innovative, new offerings: namely, clear plastic harness details in a pointedly medical nod to the 'skin, skin, skin' trend, only enhanced by the occasional addition of anatomical graphics.
Richard Quinn's Two Shows
Who could forget the Queen attending Richard Quinn's London Fashion Week show and presenting him with the inaugural QEII Award for British design back in 2018? Not us, and certainly not Quinn himself, who attributes the late monarch with cementing his place on the fashion map once and for all – so it was particularly fitting that the designer be the one to close this strangest and saddest of London Fashion Weeks. He rose to the occasion by putting together an astonishing 23 new looks in just 10 days for his personal tribute to the Queen, and it was a show in itself: models in veils, beaded crowns and all-black ensembles walked to the haunting sounds of Song To The Siren while archive footage of the young monarch played on screens. Then followed the 'real' show to present the typically glamour-filled collection that the team had been working on beforehand, featuring Quinn's signature big florals, sparkles, feathers and larger-than-life silhouettes. The show must – and did – go on.
Tangerine At Simone Rocha
A certain tension underlies Rocha's overtly feminine designs, and this season in particular: in her show notes for SS23, the designer pointed to the collection as 'a reaction to distress' and the difficult emotions that have arisen in the past few years. The result? A series of darkly romantic tulle gowns featuring signature ribbons, frills and floral embroidery – with exciting new additions of tangerine and flashes of silver.
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