London Fashion Week SS23: Touching Tributes & a Rallied Community
Just when things were becoming a bit gloomy for the London Fashion Week it’s designers brought their A-game to turn around the show towards glamour.
London might not be the fashion capital of Europe, but it sure knows how to host a stunning fashion week. After the demise of The Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this fashion week was seeming a bit gloomy just like the weather of its host city, but things picked up faster than expected after its designers made a stellar display of creativity while paying their respects to their beloved Queen.
Initially no one from the industry expected much from the gloomy city, but the show turned out better than industry’s expectations. From Simone Rocha to JW Anderson’s seedy Soho casino, London Fashion Week’s first fully in-person fashion week was meant to be a celebration, and it certainly was! But, while some designers including Burberry, Raf Simons, and Roksanda either decided to cancel or postponed their runway shows to a later date after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, others continued as planned.
The final result was ok. No matter the efforts labels made to present an outstanding Fashion Week, London Fashion Week felt a little bit “flat” with conservative looks and considered music choices. However, there have been some standout moments from established and rising brands. Read on to find out more about the shows you might have missed ahead.
Nensi Dojaka RTW Spring 2023
Albanian designer Nensi Dojaka debuted its Spring 2023 collection during London Fashion Week. The line featured delicate, négliglée-like necklines, cut-out bodices, and curve-enhancing silhouettes. Models walked the runway showing off powerful personality/style while emanating the kind of self-assured sexiness that comes with just knowing how beautiful you look. The designer also presented plenty of newness by way of shimmering sequin fabrics, going-out tops, flouncy mini-skirts, slinky lingerie-inspired bike shorts, and much more.
Stefan Cooke RTW Spring 2023
One of the most anticipated fashion brands – Stefan Cooke – presented its latest Spring 2023 collection at London Fashion Week. Stefan Cooke and his life and work partner Jake Burt showed off tightly compelling womenswear to offer for the first time. “We’ve been planning it for quite a long time and it felt right to do it. We wanted it to be really succinct, but also really tactile… It’s really amazing to actually do dressmaking. It’s more limitless and dynamic,” Cooke explained. The Designers introduced the well-known Miu Miu high-skirted minidress, twinset zip-up minis, denim and leather pants, zip, up off-white jackets, and much more.
JW Anderson RTW Spring 2023
JW Anderson unveiled its latest Spring 2023 at London Fashion Week, challenging our virtual existences in its latest collection. The designer has been asking himself the question lately “Are we falling into the screen? Are we becoming our phones?” – that’s why, for the current season, he showed off dresses adorned with computer keys or a futuristic metallic orb while shirts boasted screensaver-inspired images. “I like this idea of a transient moment in time. I’ve been exploring this for several collections,”. He also added, “I think it’s really like an alternate universe, and there are layers and layers and layers to it. I think it’s probably about realism. I don’t think it’s about futurism. It’s more about a reflection of ourselves somehow.”
Simone Rocha RTW Spring 2023
Simone Rocha’s Spring 2023 collection featured parachute tapes threaded through dresses and big, bubble-bomber jackets. There were also lots of airy, pale white-beige-pink layers of tulle, deconstructed corsets, flounced veils, etc. “This collection was very much a reaction to the last few years. It was very harnessing an emotion that felt like this kind of powerful, feminine statement.” and added, “There’s definitely pieces within the collection that I think people will feel potentially a response to the current situation. Because my original inspiration, back at Central Saint Martins, was this old tradition of the people of the Aran Isles,”
Christopher Kane RTW Spring 2023
Creative Designer Christopher Kane is back for this Spring 2023 season. The designer presented his latest collection at London Fashion Week in the enormous Roundhouse venue in Camden. The show revisited many of Kane’s signature themes, including the mechanics and makeup of the human body, lingerie, and bodycon dressing. That’s why he presented a collection which was more of an anatomy class. Kane said he was thinking about “skeletal structures as an invisible shield, an armour. It was about protecting and dissecting the body and showing symbolical strength and power.”
