The British Are Coming: To Push the Boundaries of Fashion
Updated: Sep 25
London Fashion Week SS27, where rebellion creates tension.
London is home to theatricality and the rebellious artist. However, the city is much more than punk and rebellion. Its nonconforming nature allows artists to play with the unconventional and the controversial, creating a space in which London has historically excelled. This spirit of defiance goes hand in hand with the ever-changing nature of fashion, pushing the envelope in ways that allow for the creation of truly revolutionary things.
Fashion is meant to be thought-provoking, emotional, and human. "A lust for life" as Susanna Lau puts it in her BOF publication. As we venture deeper into an age of technological innovation, we are asked to remember ourselves. It began with bright color, unexpected materials, imagination, and striking prints during Paris Haute Couture Week and NYFW. Now, that conversation continues in London through craftsmanship: the hand, the detail, the imperfection, and the human touch.
A play on the body
@deep_visionnn @bella.feoli @curvexpo @knwlslondon via Instagram
KNWLS
The frantic moment of getting bed ready after a long night out or the in-between of dressing, where you've noticed you're running 10 minutes behind. KNWLS’ SS27 collection, chambre closed, played with the idea of undress, but they did so in a way that was quite clever. The small wins were in the details, with the pieces falling in deliberate ways. The flattering silhouettes and the play on color.
Really, what caught my attention was the body-conscious draping and the attention to detail it took to accomplish it. There is something impressive about making something look effortless when so much thought has gone into how it falls. I can always appreciate rebellion that focuses on thoughtfulness and technique to get across it's message.
@mowalola via Instagram
Mowalola
The Hunger the collection was called, and it made you feel it. Seemingly simple garments exuded playful mischief. Some might say the nudity is “too much,” or that there simply wasn’t much clothing to debut, but for those with a taste for the undercurrents, it was fantastic.
In particular, the artisanal tiled dress. The collection as a whole was complexion conscious, but the closing dress, specifically, was wrong in all the right ways. The open front, covered only by the model’s hands, and the low back, cut just low enough to reveal a little bit of “butt cleavage.” Some might say it’s “all been done before,” but I think Mowalola knows how to flirt and that was the win. There is an excitement in pushing the envelope, especially when you know exactly how far to take it.
A big thank you to Balat Pal for adding mystique and making the moment everything it was supposed to be.
Agro Studio @mmgzne @agrostudio_ @decodetherunway @andrewgallimakeup via Instagram
The idea of liminal spaces meets playing with transparency and purple Petunias. This SS27, Agro Studio released their collection, Glass Body. One of my favorites from the week because it was flattering to the body in unexpected ways.
It explored transparency through fabrics, layering, and hand-crafted embellishments. There were voluminous tulle skirts paired with more structured bodices, creating an interesting contrast in the overall shape. This is one of those times when a drop waist actually added to the overall aesthetic and fit of the garment. It was a very thoughtful and daring collection. Not only did they play with proportions, but they also gave us exciting moments. Where Mowalola gave us some “butt cleavage,” Agro Studio gave us a tiny window display of crack through a transparent panel on its jeans.
@dipesta @ leignannepinnock @aweinspired via Instagram
DI PESTA
DI PESTA’s SS27 collection, Holy Milk, was an homage to the woman’s body, specifically its ability to carry and nurture a child. Topics surrounding breastfeeding, or rather the “appropriate” place to breastfeed, have been controversial for some time. Some malls have even created private rooms within the women’s restrooms dedicated to breastfeeding.
Di Petsa draws this idea into a sense of divinity, where nudity becomes less about exposure and more about the woman’s body, its ability to nurture, create, and express itself. The final piece was a lactating fountain, where the model herself was also pregnant. Unsurprisingly, it created shock and controversy, but lactation is part of raising a child, and if we're living in a time where having children is expected to be the norm for women, then how can we STILL see breastfeeding as taboo?
The Stories We Tell
@Maxillimianraynor and @marve.mgmnt via instagram
Maximilian Raynor
During this London Fashion Week, Maximilian Raynor debuted his SS27 collection, A Village Green Rivalry, inspired by the family feud in Romeo and Juliet. The Capulets and Montagues are reimagined as the “Gingers,” a fiery red lineage, and the “Elder Flowers,” a silver-haired, soft-gray lineage. On show day, their annual match has arrived, and the two families are sent head-to-head on the field.
The collection pokes fun at the opposing nature of politics while playing with the familiar spectacle of a British sporting match. The political undertones are there, but never so loudly that they overshadow the fun. It is intellectually present, which makes the whole thing that much more enjoyable. What can I say? British humor.
Harris Reed @harris_reed via Instagram
Harris Reed is long known for grand silhouettes and the fantasy woven into her work. This year, her SS27 collection, Loud Whispers, rooted that fantasy into the earth. It came as a disruption to her usual flow of work, turning her attention toward structure, construction, and the intricacies of making.
The color was stripped back to white, allowing the craftsmanship live. Yet it remained glamorous, beautiful, and grand. A hint of purple and an iridescent highlight across the models’ cheeks brought a touch of fantasy back to the otherwise restrained collection.
H&M
H&M & You & I began as a spectacle, with dance and live music. I Want to Know What Love Is, covered by Labrinth, had to be the perfect choice for this show. The human experience of romance, placed on a runway. The silhouettes became romantic and flowy as the idea of human connection permeated the stage. It brought Rococo, ruffles, and intricacy. Then, the lights switched off, and the models onstage passed one another, beams of light permeating through the darkness.
Light played a huge role in the storytelling here. The idea came to life in an artful way through the creative direction of Nick Knight and Calum Knight, where fashion, movement, music, and light coalesced to form a singular grand experience of romance.
@Patrick__Mcdowell via instagram
Patrick Mcdowell
The classic silhouettes walked down the runway in Patrick’s newest SS27 collection, Love. This fashion show was meant to feel beautiful. Beauty can mean many different things to different people. Symmetry, proportion, and timelessness are the classics. Here, florals adorned nearly every design, extending beyond the clothes and into the runway itself, where they became part of the world surrounding the collection.
As opposed to H&M’s approach to romance, this felt cleaner and more refined. Rather than exploring the human experience of romance,
Love focused on a more timeless, stripped-back interpretation, like the beauty of a flower bouquet. Here, love was not necessarily expressed through grand textures, but embedded within the overall
craftsmanship.
@altjj_ , @dariadenin, @wyaooooooooo, and @ dreaming _eli via instagram
Dreaming ELI
Dreaming Eli’s SS27 collection, Dreamers in Exile, debuted Victorian silhouettes with a hint of goth. Almost like a Tim Burton film, the models roam the stage in a romantic deconstruction. There is something inherently melancholic about the way Elisa presents romance. I suppose that is where the exile of it all comes in. Now, this collection also featured beautiful iridescent 3D printed bags. It looked like gorgeous liquified satin with handles.
The name of the game is perspective. Romance does not always have to be soft, sweet, or idyllic.
Sometimes it is strange, dark, and melancholic. Dreamers in Exile explores that version of romance,
finding beauty in something slightly more unsettling.
@ohno.chi.didnt @marine_hums, @studio.agency, and @ERDEM via instagram
ERDEM
The assignment for ERDEM was gender fluidity, and they succeeded. Inspired by the 1920s trapeze artist Barbette, ERDEM’s SS27 collection was theatrical from beginning to end. With a focal point on craftsmanship, the garments were adorned with intricate crystal embellishments, while the fashion house mixed traditionally feminine and masculine silhouettes.
The satins, crystals, and feathers all gave the collection an air of theatricality and opulence. Yet beneath the spectacle was something more thoughtful: a deliberate exploration of what clothing can communicate beyond gender. Perhaps this is where fashion becomes most exciting: beautifully pushing the boundaries of what could be, and finding new ways to communicate our stories.
Liza Keane @zoepapadakisartist and lizakeane_ via Instagram
The world of Liza debuted in London for the first time last week. During her SS27 collection, Rain on My Parade, the rain falling over the models was undeniably eye-catching, but more importantly, it drove the narrative of the clothes. Set within an almost alien, post-apocalyptic world, the collection explores emotion and self-understanding.
Rather than romanticizing emotion, Liza allows the darkness to take over. There's something unnerving about watching these characters move through their world, as though the clothes are telling a story that lives beyond the runway itself. Plenty of clothes already exist in the world. What makes fashion worth watching is the ability to create an experience.
The Heritage We Share
@keiitangela @tankmagazine @petrosstudio @makur_mabor via Instagram
Franceska Lake
During London SS27, Jamaican fashion designer Franceska Lake presented her collection, Wake the town, as a way of displaying Jamaican heritage. The collection plays on the many iterations of the word wake, allowing its different meanings to inspire both its themes and shapes.
It is a celebration of Black existence, Black audacity, and Black pride, as Lake describes it on Instagram, expressed through grand garments that refuse to shrink themselves down. There is something inherently powerful about clothing that takes up space.
Lake also explores the relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, a conversation that feels particularly relevant today. It gives the collection another layer beyond its visual impact. A brand with perspective does more than create beautiful clothes. It shares a story, a history, and a point of view with the world.
Petra Fagerström
Petra Fagerström’s A Swedish Summer brings to the forefront the grunge that exists within Swedish fashion, paired with the florals of spring and summer. The collection makes bold moves, combining the roughness of grunge with something a little fresher.
A leather fringe piece came down the runway. It transitioned into satin fringe toward the bottom of the piece, creating a contrast between toughness and softness. It is unapologetic, a little unexpected, and distinctly Swedish.
@anniesibiza via Instagram @pertafagerstrom via Instagram
Annie's Ibiza
We have all seen an iteration of Annie’s Ibiza, whether on TikTok or Instagram. Her collections are known for turning glitz and glamour into miniature dresses, matched with coordinating boleros. These intricate, stone-worked pieces have gained popularity in recent years for their craftsmanship and unapologetic sparkle.
This season, the SS27 collection, Return to Self, is a love letter to London. Annie takes to Instagram to explain her inspiration, which happens to be the world of Charles Dickens, the 19th-century novelist whose stories captured the contrasts and characters of Victorian London.
Victorian fashion returns to the stage, this time evoking some of her more familiar colors and rhinestone work, while others allow only the shapes to speak. The romance of the era remains, but it feels transformed through Annie’s elegant lens.
@chopovalowena @laurenfreynolds via Instagram
Chopova Lowena:
Chopova Lowena’s SS27 collection debuted with color, punk, and dogs. Lucky Spirit Lost Strike was a haunting runway show, bringing together British punk and Bulgarian folk traditions to create a world centered around women's empowerment.
Through the long-rejected versions of women, witches, ghouls, and nymphs, the collection asks us to find empowerment in accepting ourselves exactly as we are. There is something beautiful about reclaiming the figures once considered strange, undesirable, or frightening and allowing them to exist without apology. “Live alongside the magic,” they explained via Instagram.
Labrum @labrumlondon via Instagram
The collection celebrates the coming together and constantly changing nature of culture through craftsmanship and texture. The SS27 collection, titled Hands of Osmosis, tells the story of cultural change through time. The West African designer brought a piece of home to the runway, exploring the idea of moving to a new place and what happens to culture along the way. Large leather bags, previously debuted in past collections, made a reappearance, pushing the nomadic narrative.
He wanted the collection to encapsulate the entire story of a personal migration journey, but proposes that perhaps the best way to tell that story is through time, as this collection marks the final chapter of
his trilogy. He revealed to GQ that throughout the three-season stretch, he went on a journey through
sound, textiles, and now craft.
@fashionofsocial @daniel_s_makeup @gomezdevillaboa @stupidbittches @alexandermcqueen via Instagram
MCQUEEN:
The long-anticipated collection was presented in London for the first time in 25 years. Its visual presentation was particularly interesting, with the hair styled almost sculpturally and pieces of metal creating a sharp contrast against the silks of the garments. It speaks to a culture rich in raves, techno, and the classic British spirit of rebellion.
There has been plenty of controversy online about whether the collection was good or not. To say something is bad is not a real critique, nor does it give rise to improvement. When I saw the McQueen show, I was reminded of Balenciaga’s Paris Haute Couture FW26/27 show. To me, the fashion can be technically impressive, while still feeling as though something is missing. It's like seeing the body without the soul.
Perhaps the real challenge lies in the tension between honoring the ideas a house was built upon and giving yourself permission to add your own perspective, heart, and story. Maybe it is a rite of passage for every creative director to begin by studying the anatomy of the body before eventually diving into its soul.
The Art that Inspires Us
Susan Fang
Inspired by her mother’s floral paintings, Susan Fang created pieces adorned with florals. She created more conical-shaped dresses that resembled bushels of flowers. In particular, the pieces that caught my attention were the 3D-printed sandals the models walked in, complementing the clothes. I always love a sense of futurism in a collection and the sandals gave it that hint of ingenuity.
She also presented her collaboration with Crocs, with beautiful florals deliberately placed along the shoe. If there was a collection that felt ready for spring, it was this one.
@susanfeangofficial via Instagram
@simonerocha_ via Instagram
Simone Rocha
Inspired by the 1990 rediscovery of Caravaggio’s painting, The Taking of Christ, Simone Rocha asks us to find beauty in the unconventional. She experimented with shape, bringing unconventional haute couture silhouettes to the London stage.
Alongside the fabulously designed beaded brows, the collection found interest in shape and detail. Floral jewelry pieces, intricate embroidery, and colossal floral motifs brought another dimension to the catwalk, making beauty feel almost experimental in its intricacy. It breaks the rules of beauty, and instead, we get to find it where we least expect it.
Steve O Smith
Steve O Smith’s SS27 collection, Fever, made haute couture feel like art. Inspired by the works of André Derain, his dresses look like living sketches. He takes inspiration from Derain’s bold use of color and Impressionist style to create playful evening wear.
Like much of the childlike imagination that has been popular this season, the collection draws focus to the imperfections and asymmetrical nature of paintings, using them to make its statement. It is exciting when fashion has a sense of spontaneity; to wear something that feels so human and expressive. @Steve_o_smith via Instagram
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