5 things to expect from London Fashion Week Women’s SS25
From Simone Rocha's new collection to this year's Newgen selection
September 11th, 2024
After a slightly disappointing New York Fashion Week, filled with shows that lacked stylistic innovation and instead favored Instagrammable moments, the fashion system's attention is about to shift to London. At the London Fashion Week, scheduled from September 12 to 17, we will rediscover brands like JW Anderson, Simone Rocha, and SS Daley, while we will finally see which direction companies like Burberry, currently at risk, have decided to take. As the event prepares for its 40th edition, the fashion industry audience is ready to welcome a new wave of emerging designers, who will showcase their work at the renowned "talent incubator" Fashion East. Once again, the English capital will be flooded with creatives eager to present their ideas: who knows if among them is the next Martine Rose. Here are 5 things to expect at London Fashion Week Women's SS25.
S.S. Daley's debut in womenswear
After participating in Pitti Uomo in Florence last January - and the announcement of the partial acquisition of the company by singer Harry Styles - the English brand SS Daley is now preparing to debut its womenswear line at London Fashion Week. The show is scheduled for Friday, September 13, an event expected to bring a very British collection to the runway, as the brand's designs always have been. With embroidery referencing the world of equestrianism and hunting, waterproof garments, and tailored patterned suits, we can expect to see some impressive pieces this week. Like that time Ian McKellen walked the runway.
New names at the Newgen spaces
Finale at DI PETSA #NEWGEN at #LFW pic.twitter.com/JkBXNqO4pX
— London Fashion Week (@LondonFashionWk) February 19, 2024
As every year, Newgen will reveal to the fashion industry the collections of several creatives trying to make their mark on the international fashion scene. This SS25, we will see young brands that have already made headlines with surprising designs: Ancuta Sarca, Chet Lo, and Masha Popova will bring bold colors in full y2k style to the Newgen runway, while Di Petsa, Lueder, and Charlie Constantinou will explore a more naturalistic dimension of new London fashion. Alongside them, Johanna Parv, last year's Newgen winner, will return.
Standing Ground spreads its wings
Although London is renowned for its bold, maximalist, and non-conformist style, one of the brands that has gained recognition in the city in recent years is Standing Ground. After captivating the industry with its show at the Fashion East talent incubator, the brand by Irish designer Michael Stewart is now ready to go solo. With its form-fitting silhouettes, vibrant colors, draping, and marble-like textures, Standing Ground's designs promise another show full of sensuality and elegance this year.
Christopher Raeburn celebrates 15 years
2024 will be a year to remember for Christopher Raeburn, from his appointment as creative director of Napapijri (the first in the brand's history to hold this position) to the celebrations for the 15th anniversary of his eponymous brand. In London, the designer's career will be celebrated with Raeburn 15 - Retrospective, an exhibition curated by Harris Elliott that traces the brand's history and key moments. The exhibition will be presented at LFW on Saturday, September 14, and open to the public starting Sunday.
Hyper-femininity returns to the runway with Chopova Lowena, Nensi Dojaka, and Simone Rocha
@valentinadanaus As fashion week shows continue to roll out Irish designer Simone Rocha has been one of the most relevant names in rhe conversation thanks to her latest Fall Winter 2023 Ready to Wear collection at London Fashion Week The collection was inspired by Lughnasadh, a gaelic festival that celebrates the beginning of the harvest season about halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. The nature of the festival serves Rocha as both a visual and emotional queue for the season, from the show scenary up to the hair and makeup, adorning a great majority of the looks with a set of red bows and teary eyed effects, meant to recall the blood used in the festival to lure spirits away. Beautiful ornate slip dresses in shades of nude become the foundation for voluminous constructions which combine the femininity of the theme with details of naval inspiration in black and navy capes, like sailor collars and heavy knits explored more prevalently on the menswear and combined subtly on the women pieces. For accesories, the harvest theme becomes the clearest in the shape of raffia basket bags, a motif further explored in one of the dresses as a total look. The gaelic celebration also served Rocha on a conceptual level, assisting her exploration of combining both women and menswear in the runway, in a form of ritualistic dialogue, which in this collection presents “love and lust” as its common narrative arch. Today I wanted to look back at some of the past looks of the designer that continue to inspire all the self confessed Simone Rocha girls. #simonerocha #londonfashionweek #lfw #autumnwinter #irishdesign #lughnasadh #coquette #dollette #fashionnews #runwayreview #fashiondesigner #lanadelrey
While some designers are content to follow trends and retro appeal for their collections, fortunately, others manage to create new aesthetics and stylistic codes. This is the case with Chopova Lowena, Nensi Dojaka, and Simone Rocha, who have made hyper-femininity a defining trait. We eagerly await new iterations of Lowena's tartan patchwork, Dojaka's ultra-sexy mini dresses, and Rocha's pearls - though lately, the ever-romantic Irish designer has been leaning toward a slightly darker universe.