Fashion
The best shows at London Fashion Week, from Burberry to Simone Rocha
![The best shows at London Fashion Week, from Burberry to Simone Rocha The best shows at London Fashion Week, from Burberry to Simone Rocha](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/og_image_scmp_generic/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/e075d8ac-7f3e-454c-9b00-b995cf89e48b_dcd579e7.jpg?itok=LuQsQuCY&v=1708397928)
Creativity is certainly the word that comes to mind at London Fashion Week. The diversity and global outlook of the designers showing in London are pretty much unparalleled: from someone quintessentially British like Richard Quinn, who held an intimate show that harked back to the golden age of haute couture, to rising creators hailing from Asia, the Middle East and beyond who proudly call London home, such as New Zealand-born Emilia Wickstead, known for her female-friendly clothes.
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The most memorable shows at New York Fashion Week 2024, from Coach to Tory Burch
“I feel that London is still the global city in spite of us leaving the EU, which makes us very sorry,” says Rush. “It is incredibly diverse and the best place to start a new brand. And because of colleges attracting international students, that talent stays in London and there’s a great ecosystem to develop.
“I think it’s been 30 years that we’ve supported emerging talent, and it’s great to see those designers who started in London and are now creative directors [of luxury brands] like Kim Jones, Stuart Vevers, Jonathan Anderson, who still shows at London Fashion Week.”
Here are five shows that caught our eye.
Erdem
![The Erdem autumn/winter 2024 collection during London Fashion Week in London was inspired by the late opera singer Maria Callas. Photo: AFP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/6e50aba4-372d-4bba-bbab-25d97a45468f_83e33356.jpg)
Canadian-born, London-based, British-Turkish designer Erdem Moralioglu is the ultimate romantic, so it’s no surprise that the late opera singer Maria Callas was the Erdem founder’s muse for autumn/winter 2024.
Born in the US, Callas was of Greek descent and best known for her performance as Medea, the Greek anti-heroine she played on stage and in a film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini.
![A floral-patterned coat with flower appliqué at Erdem’s autumn/winter 2024 show. Photo: AFP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/5c1ef369-0167-4e65-bb28-fabb8bb8bdd8_5d3d71bc.jpg)
Moralioglu celebrated Callas’ “Greekness” with a dramatic show, aptly held in an ancient Greek gallery at the British Museum. Opera coats, cocoon jackets and separates embellished with ostrich feathers vied for attention with pyjama sets and printed cocktail dresses. References ranged from Salvatore Fiume’s set designs for La Scala opera house in Milan to Italian composer Gioachino Rossini.
Molly Goddard
![Outstanding knitwear paired with a tulle skirt at Molly Goddard’s show during London Fashion Week. Photo: @photobenphoto/Instagram](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/49adcabe-f6fc-4c45-9922-3a94996f5c48_e0304210.jpg)
Making waves: surfer girl fashion is back – from Chanel to Miu Miu
Making waves: surfer girl fashion is back – from Chanel to Miu Miu
Aside from all that tulle and all those ruffles, the show also featured vintage-inspired shirts with a cowgirl vibe paired with denim trousers or polka dot skirts, and beautiful rose-embellished knitwear – a category that the designer has been developing with success.
![A cowgirl-inspired look at Molly Goddard during London Fashion Week. Photo: @photobenphoto/Instagram](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/c5aa89db-b428-4c65-a3a8-e78d4c9a80b9_e0304210.jpg)
Simone Rocha
![A model holding a stuffed animal at the Simone Rocha autumn/winter 2024 show during London Fashion Week. Photo: @photobenphoto/Instagram](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/2721db45-6a6e-490c-8c4d-fac04fc667cd_e0304210.jpg)
This collection was the final part of a trilogy that started with the spring/summer 2024 show and then continued with a blockbuster gig as guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier’s latest couture range.
![A look from Simone Rocha’s autumn/winter 2024 collection during London Fashion Week. Photo: @photobenphoto/Instagram](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/ce088006-8094-4a67-9aa8-dd3a67b21a5d_e0304210.jpg)
Models walked along the pews clad in black nylon dresses and parkas, angelic tulle confections, lace-up corsets and tailoring with faux fur panels. Some of them carried stuffed animals, which lightened the mood or made things even more sinister, depending on how you see it.
![A mourning-inspired outfit from Simone Rocha’s autumn/winter 2024 show during London Fashion Week. Photo: @photobenphoto/Instagram](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/b936e3ef-8478-4228-ba2c-5930500aa3e1_e0304210.jpg)
Style Shoot: A closer look at Pharrell’s first collection for Louis Vuitton
Style Shoot: A closer look at Pharrell’s first collection for Louis Vuitton
JW Anderson
![Knitwear and separates in monochrome hues at JW Anderson’s autumn/winter 2024 show. Photo: JW Anderson](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/cc0f85d6-42b1-43d3-90d1-9d2af071a947_df5dbbd9.jpg)
Founded in 2008, JW – as industry insiders refer to it – started out in menswear, but Anderson blurred the line between genders from day one, long before androgyny in fashion was a thing.
![A sportswear-inspired look with knitwear separates at JW Anderson’s autumn/winter 2024 show. Photo: JW Anderson](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/72af1762-2849-4cde-9345-a2dc8df068fc_9a254a42.jpg)
![More knitwear at the JW Anderson autumn/winter 2024 show. Photo: JW Anderson](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/0b294336-cce8-4c2c-b482-f3f85e318dee_df5dbbd9.jpg)
Burberry
![A knit dress with fringes at the Burberry show during London Fashion Week. Photo: Reuters](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/a76a9699-cc51-4760-8dcf-44da666b4d47_d56ba3a4.jpg)
![A menswear look from the Burberry catwalk show during London Fashion Week. Photo: Reuters](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/baa06033-082d-461d-84fc-285033d263a1_96347b2f.jpg)
For his third show, Lee moved away from the darker palette of his two previous collections with a line-up of looks in natural hues that played to Burberry’s strength: outerwear meant for the great outdoors.
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Models, some of them carrying umbrellas, walked down a runway of fake grass clad in leather trenches, shearling jackets, coats with faux fur trims and duffel coats. The men’s looks had a luxe swagger reminiscent of 90s and 2000s hip hop – the camel coats and the check trousers with zip cut-outs looked just fabulous. The womenswear was a pure celebration of all things British and a nice throwback to Burberry’s heyday under the creative direction of Christopher Bailey.
![A fluffy coat at the Burberry autumn/winter 2024 show during London Fashion Week. Photo: Reuters](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/b81c3fbb-e77f-4dd2-bc5b-72f4a55da87c_ac707f82.jpg)
Plenty of girls will want to wear those sequinned dresses nonchalantly worn beneath aviator jackets while those statement dresses in fringed knitwear will delight fashion editors and stylists.
The casting – a who’s who of British top models ranging from Karen Elson to Lily Cole, Lily Donaldson and Naomi Campbell – was another homage to Britain and so was the music, which featured songs from the late Amy Winehouse.
![A menswear look from the Burberry catwalk show during London Fashion Week. Photo: AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/02/20/f72eca52-c545-4d81-87ae-756b3979baff_f8b7f837.jpg)
While Lee’s accessories are still a work in progress, with this collection the designer has defined – and refined – his vision of Burberry as the ultimate British luxury brand – a promising development at a time of major changes, and great scrutiny, for a brand that represents so much for Great Britain and the world.