That’s a wrap for London Fashion Week. It was a week of debuts, returns (Mowalola), celebrity sightings and of course tons of trends. While NYFW explored trends like full-on sequins and modern goth, London focused on materially and color. From the color of the season, red, to the distinctly British check/plaid and florals for the fall. Let’s break down some of the key trends, motifs, and aesthetic “cores” as seen on the runways at London Fashion Week Fall Winter 2023.
Ahead are the trends spotted at London Fashion Week.
Florals For Fall (Groundbreaking)
Florals aren’t just for spring anymore — and that was evident at a few shows during London Fashion Week F/W 23. Of course, Richard Quinn offered a collection full of floral printed garments, from gowns to coats, in his signature kink-inspired way (always paired with latex and leather). Burberry also featured a running floral motif, Lee’s take on an English Rose, with a section of the collection cohesively spotlighting the psychedelic, almost Warholian take on the floral print.
Flaming Hot Red
We’re sure you’ve been hearing this all month long, but red is the color of the season. We saw it trickle in at NYFW at shows like Christian Cowan and Head of State, and now it continues to be red hot at the London shows. At David Koma, not only was the runway carpet red, there were hosts of red looks; fur coats, latex tops, scarves, and gloves. Earlier in the week, over at Ahluwalia’s musically inspired show, red was also a prominent color story. Not ready to go full-on red? Try implementing this trend in doses—a bag, a shoe, or a vibrant red lip.
Peplums Are Back?
You heard that right! The loathed and often contested peplum is making its way back into fashion. Over the past year, peplums have slowly appeared from red carpets (see: Keke Palmer in the Scarlet Robert Wun gown at Governors Awards) to a few collections. But this season, specifically in London, the early aughts style star was on full display. At Christopher Kane, a section of skirts featured the design in a latex fabric, while over at Richard Quinn, it quietly showed up in a few gowns. Love it or hate it — this trend is coming back in full force.
Check/Plaid
Check is a trend that never truly goes out of style, but this season it got a massive revamp at Burberry. For his highly anticipated debut Burberry collection, Daniel Lee was tasked with updating the heritage check, synonymous with the brand. It was bigger, more pronounced, and offered in an array of colors (blue, marigold, violet). As check is often a British staple, we also saw a focus on check/plaid at Emilia Wickstead.
Trompe l’oeil
It seems optical fashion illusions are still all the rage. This trend has been at the center of the industry for the past two years (see: Glenn Martens or JW Anderson), and it’s showing no signs of fading out. At Feben, the design manipulation was seen best in a few dresses that featured the torsos of statues in a collage-like pattern. At Natacha Zinko, this effect was displayed in a number of ways, alluding to the concept of abs and the physique.
