Your 15-Second Guide to What's Happening at London Fashion Week
Welcome to our S/S 19 runway coverage! With New York Fashion Week behind us and three more weeks of fashion month ahead of us, we're onto London for the next round of runway shows. From the celebrities sitting front row this season to the must-see looks from the spring collections, this is your one-stop shop for the most important moments of London Fashion Week. We're sharing everything you need to know about what's going on across the pond with our 15-second reviews.
Whether you're looking forward to spring's coolest trends and must-buy accessories or want a peek inside fashion's craziest month, we're here to bring you the best bite-size insight from the top runway shows, after-parties, and everything in between. Keeping reading for the most important moments of LFW so far, and be sure to check back, as we'll be updating the story as the week continues.
Preen By Thornton Bregazzi
For spring 2019, Preen took its penchant for mixed prints and colorful motifs and translated it into a collection for the explorer. The brand said its inspiration included those who travel, crave an unconventional journey, and live a life not tied specifically to one place. In clothing that translated to pieces that weren’t tied to one specific idea either, rather joggers were paired with patchwork sweaters, major ruffles were balanced with athleisure, and practical shoes were styled with everything.
In case you were in the market for nude bobby socks, may we suggest you style them like this.
Athletic pieces such as gym shorts and tracksuits were given the high-fashion treatment and paired with pieces that contrasted their practical aesthetics.
Mary Katrantzou
Stepping into Mary Katrantzou's world is like stepping into a kaleidescope. It's filled with ornate details and decadent patterns that delight the eye at every turn. This collection paid homage to the brand's signature trompe l'œil designs via dresses that were digitally printed with everything from butterflies to stamps to art pieces that referenced her favorite looks from throughout the brand's 10 years.
Titled the "collection of collections," S/S 19 saw models circling an installation of looks from the designer's archive to draw a direct connection between the house's history and its present day.
Veils, seen here as well as at Erdem and Simone Rocha, are shaping up to be a big accessory trend for spring.
This season, Delpozo Creative Director Josep Font sent out a sea of pastel, sequin, and ruffled confections—an aesthetic we are pleasantly used to seeing from him. While architectural evening silhouettes were expected, there were also quite a few looks that aired on the more casual side of the spectrum, including roll-up pants, poplin dresses, and free-flowing sheer separates.
Each look was accompanied by some version of gladiator sandals. Be it in silver, blue, or black, the return of this shoe trend on the runway had us wondering if this style will actually catch on come spring.
It wouldn't be a Delpozo show without jaw-dropping dresses adorned with miniature sequins, dramatic headpieces, and color palettes you dreamed about as a child. Between the cascading ruffled dresses that closed the show and the more wearable midi dresses scattered throughout, this collection had us dreaming of more whimsical days to come.
Inspired by her Chinese heritage, Simone Rocha used this collection to bring to life paintings of women from the Tang dynasty, which she quickly fell in love with. The example above shows one of the many looks Rocha incorporated imitations of the paintings into, accompanied by lace, beaded floral arrangements, and statement accessories, of course.
True fans of the brand brought out their best Simone Rocha looks as they proudly sat front row. If you follow fashion illustrator Jenny Walton, you know she had a pretty tough time deciding her look for the show, but this brocade coat did just the trick.
While the shoes overflowing with feathers were a close second, the veiled headpieces that were paired with nearly half of the looks in the collection took the cake for the most memorable aspect of the show, by far.
Erdem Moralioglu continues to make florals feel fresh and undeniably cool. His S/S 19 collection included plenty of the pretty dresses that he's known for, with colorful pantsuits and coats thrown in for good measure. The most prominent theme in the collection was the '80s-feeling puffy shoulders—so can he make us want shoulder pads again? All signs point to yes.
Of course, It Brit Alexa Chung was among the celebrities who sat front row at the Erdem show. Others included Susie Bubble, Veronika Heilbrunner, Sheila Atim, and Anoushka Shankar.
One of the final looks in the collection was this beatiful, bridal-worthy white lace dress that would be perfect for an indie bride. (Chloë Sevigny, are you getting married anytime soon?) Puffy shoulders, an oversize bow, and statement sleeves make for one seriously memorable dress.
Rejina Pyo
Rejina Pyo was recently picked up by Net-a-Porter and since then it’s become a must-have in many stylish wardrobes. This season we’re already expecting the accessories like the below PVC belt and button-down pieces to sell out first. See our favorite moments from the spring show below.
This is belt is sure to be one of spring's biggest accessories. Plus, this bright color combination? So good.
Everything about this look makes us excited for spring.
Christopher Kane
Dubbed "Sex in Nature," Christopher Kane's S/S 18 show was a mismatch of different trends, including embellished blouses, gauzy dresses, '80s blazers, lingerie-as-outerwear, and more. Would you expect anything less than that from one of the highlights of London Fashion Week?
Christopher Kane is no stranger to the statement shoes—remember his embellished orthopedic shoes and his furry Crocs? This time around, Kane presented colorful shoes with a twist: a platform heel made of two spheres. Leave it to him to come up with yet another way to reinvent shoes.
As for the front row, FKA Twigs looked impossibly chic wearing the brand's All-Over Sequin Blouse from the Pre-Fall 2018 collection, which she paired with over-the-knee boots and very on-trend tiny sunglasses. Does it get any cooler than that?
Peter Pilotto
Oh, what we'd do to get our hands on one of these ethereal Peter Pilotto gowns from his S/S 19 collection. The British designer presented another outstanding lineup of dresses that are destined for the red carpet—are you taking notes, Jennifer Lawrence and Tracee Ellis Ross? Don't be surprised if these looks pop up at the Oscars in February.
Here, a close-up look at the statement jewelry that complemented Pilotto's beautiful gowns. These oversized gold hoop earrings would look stunning on their own, but when paired with an equally glittering gown, the effect is hard to miss.
Can you say Hawaiian vacation? In addition to sophisticated red carpet gowns, Pilotto churned out fun, island-worthy looks that would look right at home on Maui—with a Piña Colada in hand, naturally. Sign us up for wherever Pilotto's going next year.
Roksanda
You can always count on Roksanda to create the most imaginative dresses around. This season, a major highlight was this beautiful plunging red gown with two statement ruffle tiers. Does it get any better than that? If only we had a place to wear it.
Have you ever seen a chicer hoodie? Roksanda reinvented the athleisure staple with billowing sleeves and delicate criss-cross detailing, making it look like a million bucks when paired with an embellished skirt.
Chloë Sevigny, this frothy confection is calling your name. We'd love to see an indie actress steal the show on a red carpet in this billowy, caped dress that comes complete with beautiful hand-embellished sequins.
Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear with over a decade of experience in fashion, editorial, and publishing. She oversees luxury content and wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. She also contributes to podcast recordings, social media, and branded content initiatives. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, MyTheresa, and Luisa Via Roma, and rising designers such as Refine and Tove, and her style has been featured in publications including Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Before Who What Wear, Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on assistant styling, photo shoots, and runway shows, and at Allure, where she moved into print and digital editorial. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied art history and business, and currently lives in New York.
-
Chanel's Loafers Are the Ultimate Luxury—Here's Why the Fashion Set Think They're Worth It
The dream.
By Elinor Block
-
London Has Spoken: 7 Fashion Trends That Are Set to Be Big in 2025
They're destined to reach ubiquity come spring.
By Nikki Chwatt
-
The Burberry S/S 25 Show Embraces Artful Embellishment and Utilitarian Workwear
Daniel Lee is at it again.
By Nikki Chwatt
-
12 Fall Outfit Ideas Straight From the Streets of London Fashion Week
We can't wait to wear these.
By Allyson Payer
-
Sheer! Leather! Crochet!—6 Fall Trends From the COS Runway Show You Can Shop Now
Get your credit card ready.
By Nikki Chwatt
-
These 7 Wildly Popular It Bags Will Be Everywhere During Fashion Month
You heard it here first.
By Allyson Payer
-
The Stunning Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry That's Worth the Investment
Shine bright like a diamond.
By Ana Escalante
-
We're Fashion Editors—the 9 Best Items From The Row That Are Truly Worth the Investment
They'll never date.
By Emily Dawes