London Fashion Week S/S 2023 is going to be the best one yet. Designers have to contend with the unique challenges of presenting their collections during a time of national mourning after Queen Elizabeth II’s death. The British Fashion Council was forced to cancel and delay all events outside of the core number of runway shows and presentations due to the Queen’s funeral.
Designers cite the Queen’s determination as inspiration for a celebration of London’s diversity of creative talent, particularly those emerging into the spotlight as brands and businesses. The inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design was presented to rising fashion talent by the Queen at London Fashion Week in the year 2000.
Wallpaper reports from a historical London Fashion Week.
The best of London Fashion Week S/S 2023
Friday 17 September
Chopova Lowena
The buzz surrounding Chopova Lowena’s debut runway show was due to the number of people who could be seen wearing the duo’s distinct looks. Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena- Irons looked towards the former’s Bulgaria roots in a collection which collided the spectacle of summer Rose Queen festivals in the country’s central Chopova and Lowena-Irons said they wanted to make a statement about the sport’s feeling of aggression, which was reflected in the shouts of lacrosse players who had been mic’d up. The ruched rose motifs which bloomed from the back of jackets and dresses, bow fastenings and macramé jewellery were a contrast to the tradition of the RoseQueen. An extract from the 1913 poem “Sacred Emily” is an apt description of the compelling contradictions at the heart of Chopova Lowena.
Fashion East
Standing Ground
Irish designer Michael Stewart presented his first collection as part of the talent incubator at Fashion East. Comprising a series of striking column gowns, some wrapped with padded twists of fabric, or adorned with looping elements of metalwork, the collection mined the monoliths of ancient cultures. It was a convincing opening act from the designer who graduated from the Royal College of Art last year.
Jawara Alleyne
Jawara Alleyne, the only returning designer this season, joked that his S/S 2023 collection began with the idea of a modern-day yacht crashing into a pirate ship. Jersey dresses hung from the body, fastened with safety pins, were worn over torn singlets, and tailored jackets were sliced away at the sleeves. He wanted to explore the way in which Caribbean history is only taught from the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century. He thought about what “The New World” meant to him. When fragments of yourself have been told to you, how do you build a new identity?
Karoline Vitto
The title of the collection, “Summer in January”, was a nod to her home country of Brazil. The creation of garments for a gamut of body types which are usually underrepresented in fashion was born from the freedom she found in moving to London to pursue fashion after feeling ‘hyperconscious’ of revealing her body as a child. This liberated approach was explored in a series of jersey garments which twisted and looped around the body. Part of a growing movement to expand the historically narrow confines of designer fashion, it was presented on a group of models.
Thursday 15 September
Harris Reed
Harris Reed, who has risen to swift fame with endorsement from a bunch of celebrity fans, is not a designer to shy away from spectacle. For his first official runway show on Thursday evening, guests gathered at London’s Dutch Hall, a renovated church in the city of London, for an intimate (but no less theatrical) presentation soundtracked by a live performance from current Queen singer AdamLambert Models slowly moved through the space in the collection’s 12 looks which were inspired by the feminine pomp of a debutante ball. Models peered through giant circles of fabric, while his typically outré millinery was levitated above them, though it was a relatively simple ballerina-inspired bridal gown. The collection was called an homage to collective effort, community and collaboration and was presented with a typically dramatic flourish.
Daniel W. Fletcher
As one of the designers whose shows were canceled on Monday due to the public holiday for the Queen’s funeral, Daniel Fletcher found himself as London Fashion Week’s opening act – a somewhat tricky proposition, with little chance to sense-check the way the week’s other participants would. He noted afterwards his recognition of the importance of allowing for a moment of silence after starting proceedings with a minute’s silence. There was a more expansive exploration of British ceremonial garb, from riffs on the military parade jacket to Prince of Wales checks, corsets and rowing blazers. The designer said he imagined these pieces at the intersection of heritage and rebellion, noting how such garments had been adopted and subverted by countercultural movements. It was a confident and considered outing that stood up to a challenge.
More coverage from London Fashion Week S/S is on the way.