Spring/summer 27 at London Fashion Week (LFW) delivered a host of wearable trends, from military-inspired outerwear to a fresh wave of purple and sophisticated sheer panelling. The season featured the return of McQueen, which is set to remain in London for the foreseeable future according to CEO Gianfranco D’Attis, alongside Mulberry, a high-profile M&S debut, and collections from Burberry, Erdem, and Simone Rocha.
Celebrity Presence and Cultural Buzz
The event drew a fleet of celebrities, including Jonathan Bailey, Florence Welch, and Emma Corrin, as well as Mayor Lord Khan and Justine Simons, deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries. “London has always been a city that thrives on innovation and experimentation,” Simons told us. “I often say if you want to know what’s coming next, come to London. LFW is a highlight of the cultural calendar; it generates real dynamism and buzz, not to mention a serious economic boost.”
Now that the shows have concluded, here are five standout trends from the SS27 catwalks that you can wear immediately.
Military Jackets Take Centre Stage
Beaten-up Napoleonic jackets, once favoured by Bobby Gillespie and Kate Moss, have been adopted by a new generation of London’s coolest kids, and designers offered updated takes this week. Burberry showed oversized corded shoulder epaulettes stitched onto gabardine bomber jackets, bringing a whiff of indie sleaze. Labrum presented a muted green military jacket with epaulettes finished in long gold bullion fringe, while Mithridate opened with jackets nodding to ceremonial officers’ tunics. Rising star Oscar Ouyang cut his own military field jackets in icy satins, finished with metallic cords and tassels.
Mulberry’s Bayswater Returns
Mulberry rejoined the showing schedule on Sunday afternoon at Westminster’s Queen Elizabeth II Centre, with Christopher Kane at its helm. Many in the audience clutched the former It bag in a show of support. On the runway, Kane took the Bayswater as his starting point, translating its angular construction into leather-panelled coats, skirts, and dresses, and its postman’s lock into belts and footwear. Backstage, he spoke of his desire to mix the city, town, and country.
Purple Reigns Supreme
After tomato red and butter yellow, purple is set to dominate. It appeared across LFW: at Agro Studio’s show at Collins Music Hall, models in dazzling indigo shone like Quality Street wrappers, while Simone Rocha offered a feminine take with a lilac shirt embellished with arm cuffs and a voluminous poplin dress in paler purple. The high street has already embraced it, from a draped maxi dress at Cos to brushed cashmere at & Other Stories and a glossy silk shirt coming soon to WNU.
Ecru Shoes and Sheer Panelling
Square and pointed toes remain standard, but shades of cream, chalky white, and palest beige are emerging. Ronan McKenzie’s Selasi show featured box-fresh brogues, mid-calf boots, and glossy slingbacks in ecru. Talia Byre collaborated with Topshop on footwear, resulting in backless brogues and wedge-heel boots that could be folded down and styled in various ways. The full Byre x Topshop line-up will be revealed later this autumn.
Sheer or “naked” dresses are now prevalent in high street collections, but LFW also presented a more grown-up alternative: sophisticated sheer panelling. Erdem’s gossamer tulle numbers were either heavily embellished or juxtaposed translucency with normcore grey knitwear, while Patrick McDowell’s show presented sheer ruched gowns and panelling that revealed vibrant florals.
