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by Harriet Langley
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London Fashion Week, Spring/Summer 2027: The Week in Review Compiled by Harriet Langley
Harriet Langley reports from London Fashion Week for Not Nothing.
On-the-Ground Dispatch
It struck me, somewhere in the middle of the week, that London had stopped apologising for itself. Between 17 and 21 September, the British Fashion Council presented forty-seven catwalk shows and twenty-three presentations, with a further fifty-three evening events. The word one heard most often was return. Alexander McQueen came home after years in Paris, Christopher Kane made his debut at Mulberry, and Marks & Spencer, in its centenary year, walked a London catwalk for the first time.
The McQueen show was the week’s emotional centre. Seán McGirr’s homecoming collection was severe in its tailoring, with a Savile Row influence, and dark in its romanticism: lace corsets, harnesses and chainmail skull dresses. I rather thought it persuasive, though I could understand the view that it leaned heavily on familiar McQueen codes. The front row and backstage circle were considerable. One couldn’t help noticing Emma Corrin, Lila Moss, Florence Welch and Alexa Chung, along with Lily McMenamy and Emilia Clarke. There was a certain warmth in the way they went backstage to congratulate McGirr. It felt less like a fashion occasion than a family one.
Burberry closed the week, as it traditionally does, and Daniel Lee gave it something lighter than I had expected. There were checks and clashing florals, soft leather and a collaboration with Celia Birtwell, all in a brighter and rather more generous spirit. Central Cee made his runway debut. Elsewhere, Fiona Shaw, Jorja Smith, Gabbriette and Paapa Essiedu attended the Chelsea College of Arts show. It was the starriest close of the week, and quite deservedly so.
Marks & Spencer was the quiet surprise. A see-now, buy-now collection, with half of it priced at £50 or under, is a sensible thing to bring to a country in the grip of rising costs. It was warmly received, and I count myself among the warm. Not everything must be aspirational to be admirable.
I was less moved by Mulberry. Kane’s debut was elegant, and the leather work, laser-cut and carefully structured, was precise. Yet it seemed too rigid and too quiet for a week that had so plainly turned towards colour, embellishment and ease. These were show clothes, I thought, rather than clothes for a life.
Colour was the week’s clearest signal. Shocking pink appeared everywhere, from gauzy dresses to opera gloves, with orange, in coral, melon and tangerine, close behind. Lingerie codes ran through several collections, among them Simone Rocha, Yuhan Wang and Ashley Williams. Erdem and Bora Aksu took the garden as their theme, with aprons, trenches and fabrics made to survive a September shower. Texture, pastel and a deliberate imperfection of styling were favoured over polished minimalism.
Outside the tents, the streets were equally instructive. Ballet flats were everywhere, as were statement coats chosen with the changeable weather in mind. Jackets frequently served as the whole outfit, and one saw lace camisole dresses, feather boas and opera gloves worn with evident pleasure.
The independents deserve a word. Oscar Ouyang, Petra Fagerström, Stefan Cooke, Paolo Carzana and Geordie Campbell were among those I heard singled out, and the energy of the week was plainly not confined to the larger houses. They continue, as ever, without major financial backing.
Victoria Starmer’s appearance on the runway, modelling clothes at one of the featured shows, was a small surprise and was remarked upon.
What remains with me is the mood. London felt more confident than restrained, a little less polished and a good deal more alive. It is not a bad thing for a city to be sure of itself again.
Harriet Langley reports from London Fashion Week for Not Nothing.
Curated Round-Up
London Fashion Week, Spring/Summer 2027: The Week in Review
Compiled by Harriet Langley
The shape of the week
The British Fashion Council set out an ambitious programme of 47 catwalk shows, 23 presentations, 10 digital activations and 53 evening events. Its chief executive, Laura Weir, was explicit about the intent: to ‘re-platform London Fashion Week as not only a home for British design, but an engine for creativity and commercial growth.’ (BFC)
WWD reported that the council waived show fees to encourage participation, which helped bring new and returning names onto the calendar. British Vogue described the season as a considerable boost for London, noting that McQueen’s return might encourage other British houses showing in Paris to reconsider.
The principal shows
McQueen. Seán McGirr’s homecoming combined Savile Row-influenced tailoring with lace, chainmail and harnesses. British Vogue reported that Emma Corrin, Lila Moss, Florence Welch and Alexa Chung went backstage to congratulate him. Commentary adjacent to Business of Fashion was more guarded, finding that the collection leaned heavily on familiar McQueen codes. (British Vogue; Business of Fashion)
Burberry. Daniel Lee’s closing collection drew generous praise. Who What Wear judged it ‘one of, if not the, best’ of his tenure, citing pastels, sequins, embroidery and a new trench silhouette. Glossy found it ‘brighter, lighter and almost a little ’70s.’ (Who What Wear; Glossy)
Mulberry by Christopher Kane. WWD admired the precision but was critical of the stiffness, remarking that ‘these were show clothes and accessories, not ones for real life.’ (WWD)
M&S and H&M. M&S made its first runway appearance for its centenary with a see-now, buy-now collection, half of it priced at £50 or under, and was warmly received. H&M returned with an immersive Nick Knight and SHOWstudio event, and British Vogue counted the ‘blockbuster H&M show’ among the defining events of the season. (British Vogue; WWD)
The independents
British Vogue singled out Oscar Ouyang, Petra Fagerström, Stefan Cooke, Paolo Carzana and Geordie Campbell as essential viewing, and found ‘beauty, strangeness’ in Ouyang’s found-object sensibility. Glossy observed that heritage names were returning ‘in a bigger way,’ while independents continued to build without major financial backing. (British Vogue; Glossy)
Trends
Several signals recurred across the coverage: a ‘McQueen effect’ of low-slung trousers, cropped jackets and sharper tailoring, seen at H&M, Petra Fagerström, Aaron Esh and Talia Byre; shocking pink and orange; lingerie and romance codes at Yuhan Wang, Ashley Williams and Simone Rocha; and garden-and-utility dressing at Erdem, Yuhan Wang and Bora Aksu.
On the street
British Vogue identified nine breakout street-style trends, in bold prints, bright colours and a more playful approach to dressing. Who What Wear noted lace camisole dresses, feather boas, opera gloves and cult trainers. The New York Times focused on the jacket as the whole outfit, observing that high hemlines persisted at Toga, Mulberry and McQueen. Dazed, in its report from the preceding autumn/winter season, described London’s enduring maximalism, which is useful context rather than evidence for this season. (British Vogue; Who What Wear; The New York Times; Dazed)
The verdict
The consensus favoured Burberry’s lighter direction, McQueen’s homecoming, M&S’s accessible format and the vitality of the independents. Kane’s Mulberry debut was the contested point, elegant but too quiet for the season’s turn towards colour and ease. The BFC itself reported positive international buyer growth and a successful crossover between high street and luxury. (BFC; WWD)
Sources
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British Vogue
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WWD
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The New York Times
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Dazed (autumn/winter 2026 street-style report, used as context only)
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Who What Wear
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Business of Fashion (LFW hub and adjacent commentary)
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Glossy
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British Fashion Council (including chief executive Laura Weir)