The rip-roaring shows that shaped London Fashion Week AW25

While some might say London Fashion Week is beyond resuscitation. Here at The FACE, we don’t subscribe to all the idle chatter. OK, so there are stats that prove LFW has fewer eyes on it (yawn) but we’re sick of hearing it. Along with star players – Burberry, Simone Rocha and Erdem – young designers have further proved that London Fashion Week has real legs and plays a part in dictating fashion cycles. Think of it as the younger, cooler and scrappier sibling to heavyweights Milan and Paris. Essentially, what we’re saying is, there’s still life in the old dog yet and AW25’s roster of shows proved it.

Starting things off with a bang was Central Saint Martins’ brilliant cohort of MA students. Their show was a kaleidoscopic melting pot, filled with clever and quirky designs: caps-turned-tops, belted shoes, ballet pumps with dainty little heels. No sartorial stone was left unturned, which made for a pleasant start to the week and a reminder of the resilience of today’s young minds. This year’s L’Oreal Professional winning duo, Petra Fagerstrom and William Palmer, were stand-outs.

CSM very much set the scene for what was to come. Dilara Fındıkoğlu took Botticelli’s Venus to a rave (more on that gag of a show later); Stefan Cooke eschewed the catwalk in favour of a presentation and still ate – figuratively and literally, thanks to Louise Thompson’s giant cake that was made just for the occasion. Simone Rocha, a veteran at this point, hunkered down and produced an awe-inspiring collection that was inspired by the fable The Tortoise And The Hare, replete with scholarly silhouettes and ribbon dresses. Hollie Williamson, THE FACE’s Junior Fashion Editor, doesn’t ever tire of London Fashion week. ​“People that are on the ground [in London] still want to go to shows,” she told me. ​“They have a good turnout regardless of the playing field – it’s no Paris, but it’s a stepping stone for some designers.”

All in all: there’s no denying the magic the city still holds. Here are the moments you might have missed this LFW.

Dilara Fındıkoğlu makes people excited, and seeing her name appear on the LFW schedule is like finding a tenner in an old coat. Even in the pissing rain, there was a queue snaking down the side of nightclub Electrowerkz, the off-kilter location of the designer’s AW25 show. Once guests were seated, a red light flooded the space, and out came Lara Stone in a coal, croc-textured corset and marching skirt. Lara was one of the muses embodying Dilara’s interpretation of Botticelli’s Venus – she was flanked by several models covered in wispy bits of tulle with shells covering their genitals, safety pins attached to the hems of corsets and snatched tops made entirely of hair.

The London-based Turkish designer pushed her creative limits to the next level here, and it was a breath of fresh air. People want to see Dilara domination come 2026. I know I do. Hot on the heels of the show, fashion director Jeanie Annan-Lewis posted an Insta story which read: ​“Dilara is right there! Give her McQueen”. Imagine a corseted-to-the-nines creative director at McQueen? Epic.

At Burberry, Daniel Lee’s AW25 show at the Tate Britain featured a modest catwalk with an electric blue carpet, but that’s where all minimalism ended. A knight in a Burberry scarf – yes, you read that correctly – rizzed up Jodie Turner-Smith on the front row and took selfies with Nosferatu​’s Nicholas Hoult. Escapism was on Lee’s mind as he looked to the English countryside and Saltburn (Richard E. Grant’s catwalk cameo was mega) this season. Carpet prints typically found in countryside haunts were turned into Barbour coats and found on lapels, shearling capes appeared along with jodhpurs tucked into long boots, and, most importantly, tartan prints enveloped the autumn line.

Sure, it’s great to go to a show and get to look at nice clothes, but it’s even better when there’s a morally sound reason to justify spending hundreds of pounds on a garment. At Tolu Coker, the recently announced LVMH semi-finalist, the designer explored ​’60s-themed tailoring inspired by her Nigerian heritage, spirituality and sustainable craftsmanship.

Showcasing the process of making clothing before it hits our backs was Tolu’s goal here, so she recreated the interior of an atelier as a backdrop to the collection: rolls of material were carefully placed against walls, boxes with the designer’s name contained sketches, and garments attached to wires literally twirled in the air.

Then, before bums were even seated at Jawara Alleyne, there were clues as to the concept of the show, which took place at Protein Studios in East London. Scraps of jersey were turned into keyrings and placed on individual chairs. There were madcap, vibrant pieces on show, from a polo top shredded to bits to jersey-covered wedges and, a personal favourite, a lilac lace top paired with a puffed out skirt.

“Under Construction”, Jawara’s exploration of the core of clothes-making, led the designer to further push the boundaries of his stretched, spliced and safety-pin hemmed designs. It was a hit, obvs. There’s no questioning why he’s whizzed to the top of Rihanna’s list of go-to designers.

Following the rules doesn’t always get you maximum attention, and a little rebellion can go a long way, at least in fashion. Let’s start with Stefan Cooke: the duo behind the brand, Cooke and Jake Burt, invited us down to Shoreditch’s Corsham Street after Jawara popped his hardhat down for the day. Guests guzzled beer and ate candied cherry and almond cake as they inspected Stefan Cooke’s latest collection, which was inspired by English heritage. The pair had fun with jeans covered in patterns created from biscuit cutters. Oh, and it also brought about the return of womenswear to the Stefan Cooke universe. Hurrah!

Then, for the release of his latest capsule line, Aaron Esh gathered his close friends and AE girls for grub, a knees-up and some karaoke – because what is a better stress reliever than screaming Wrecking Ball into a mic? Talia Byre, meanwhile, honoured a family through her ​“Lily Byre” collection in a showroom on Chiltern Street. Feben celebrated strong women first with a presentation by day and a stellar dinner with Jorja Smith taking to the mic by night. Marco Capaldo hosted a dinner to celebrate his collection, which was inspired by ​’80s bop Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer. Leading ladies Caroline Trentini and Yasmin Wijnaldum brought his AW25 dreams to life. There was even a photobooth tucked in the corner (secured on Adwoa Aboah’s recommendation).

Thanks London. We’re knackered, but you were great. You know what? Milan has a hard act to follow.