London Fashion Week took place from February 16th to 20th and celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. The fall/winter 2024 edition was a far cry from Fashion Week’s humble beginnings 40 years ago: Back then, the three-day event in a tent in the parking lot of the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington included just 15 shows – including the Vivienne Westwood shows , Katherine Hamnet, Ghost and Betty Jackson. According to information from the British Fashion Council, 67 designers took part in the February event. A total of 43 catwalk shows, 14 presentations and 36 events were held. The designers in London were based in many ways on the fashion designers from New York and also showed a muted color palette and classic materials.
Military colors
Daniel Lee showed his collection for Burberry in a fashion tent set up in Victoria Park, east London. In his own words, he wanted his collection to reference Burberry’s legacy of providing weatherproof clothing to military personnel and researchers. This message was reflected in a range of looks in olive green. The dark shade of green has been associated with the military since 1868, where it was first used by British troops. At the same time, the color also represents strength, resilience and a connection to the earth and nature – perhaps this also explains the color’s presence on some other catwalks in London.
Burberry
Burberry showed off an olive green knee-length faux fur coat over a tan shirt with matching tan thigh-length boots. The model also carried a bag with the fashion house’s signature checks, also in olive green.
Marques’ Almeida
Marques’ Almeida featured a zip-up, wide-belted motorcycle jacket made from a metallic coated denim. The olive green jacket was combined with matching trousers and gold, pointed boots.
Chet Lo
Chet Lo wore a ribbed sweater and long skirt made from the label’s signature ‘Popcorn’ knit in the dark green hue. Accessories included a knitted bag and black patent pumps.
Paul Costelloe
A knee-length olive green dress with a zip fastened at the waist with a belt was seen at Paul Costelloe. The model also wore long black leather gloves, ankle boots and pearl jewelry.
Ivan Frolov
Ivan Frolov also showed off an olive-colored dress consisting of a corset and a corduroy skirt. The dress was combined with a matching corduroy blazer, a handbag with a feather boa as a strap and olive green cuffs over the shoes.
Red like wine
The London designers followed suit from New York and showed looks in bright red. But some also opted for darker colors mixed with brown or black. Designer Chet Lot showed one of the most striking designs in this dark wine red: According to him, the color of the fabric was inspired by the images of the Chinese Terracotta Army. He saw the beauty in the ‘decay process’.
Chet Lo
Chet Lo showed off a turtleneck crop top with padded shoulders. Paired with low-cut trousers without a waistband. Both pieces were made from a fabric with a metal-look snakeskin print.
Erdem Moralioglu
Erdem Moralioglu opted for a burgundy leather dress with spaghetti straps decorated with three-dimensional cream-colored flowers. The model also wore satin pumps with rose details in pink.
Eudon Choi
A similar hue was seen on Eudon Choi in the form of a suit jacket with matching pants. It was combined with a white shirt and red pumps with embellishments.
Ivan Frolov
A pair of burgundy, tight faux leather trousers with flares and matching gloves were seen at Ivan Frolov. The look was completed with a beaded bra and silver sandals.
Emilia Wickstead
Emilia Wickstead showed off a leather trench coat in wine red over a sheer red blouse and a dark red sequin skirt. Red sequined Mary Janes completed the look
Leather looks
Black leather was once seen as a symbol of youthful rebellion. This image dates back to 1953, when American actor Marlon Brando wore a black leather motorcycle jacket in the film ‘The Wild One’, making the look famous. Nowadays, black (artificial) leather is a symbol of female self-determination, especially for women, and is associated with a lot of sex appeal. Different variations of the leather look appear on catwalks around the world year after year – the autumn/winter season 2024 in London was no exception.
Tolu Coker
Tolu Coker was seen wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket with silver details and a knee-length skirt. Accessories the model wore included a printed headscarf, matching tie and gloves, and knee-length black patent boots.
David Koma
A black leather motorcycle jacket also appeared at David Koma, this time with a white shearling wool collar. This was combined with a skater skirt, black stockings and shoes with feather trim.
Dilara Findikoglu
Dilara Findikoglu showed off a fitted black leather jacket and leather pants with lace-up details at the front. Strappy sandals and leather gloves completed the look.
Natasha Zinko
Natasha Zinko also opted for lace-up details on the trousers. She paired the leather pants with a black T-shirt with a crew neck and an asymmetrical turtleneck. The model also wore modern sunglasses, a transparent cap and a black handbag.
Yuhan Wang
Yuhan Wang wore a leather two-piece with a rose pattern. The look was completed with a lace scarf and patterned tights.
Fluffy cover
It’s hard to imagine that it was 40 years ago that the American futurologist Faith Popcorn used the term ‘Cocooning’ has shaped. The English term, which means ‘to pupate’ or ‘to spin’ in German, describes the tendency of consumers to withdraw into their domestic private lives. This theme has also become prevalent in fashion recently, in the form of outerwear and sweaters that wrap the wearer and protect them from the forces of nature. Since this season is not characterized by an excessive variety of colors and prints, the designers used different materials. As in New York, cocoon-like jackets made of soft textures were often shown in London.
16 Arlington
At 16 Arlington, a long faux fur coat in black and white was seen over a thick sweater and black pants.
Colville
A cocoon-shaped fur coat also appeared at Colville – this time in navy blue over a knitted dress of the same color and combined with brown and cream loafers.
Erdem Moralioglu
Erdem Moralioglu presented a floor-length coat made of Mongolian faux fur with a matching scarf in beige. The model also wore a headband and flat black shoes made from the same fur.
Natasha Zinko
Natasha Zinko’s fur coat also took on the shape of a cocoon. The coat, in a color combination of grey, brown, cream and ochre, was tied at the hip with a black belt and paired with a black balaclava and black shoes.
Richard Quinn
Richard Quinn showed off a floor-length black ostrich feather coat with a cream sash belt and a subtle black fascinator.
This translated post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Pia Schulz