Standing Ground’s architectural gowns, Nensi Dojaka’s collaboration with Calvin Klein, Tove’s silk dresses and Burberry’s sequin dresses had the retailers’ attention during London Fashion Week, which wrapped up Monday evening.
Buyers saw London in a new light — there was sunshine all week long and collections that were refined and elegant with a point of distinction.
Many retailers said they are eager to pick up Erdem’s sparkling skirts, Roksanda’s colorful tailoring, Tove’s fluid dresses and Daniel Lee’s Burberry fringe sequin dresses.
Newcomers Aaron Esh and Standing Ground were also praised for their graceful designs.
Here, buyers discuss some of the week’s highlights.
Simon Longland, director of buying – fashion at Harrods
Favorite collection: For me it is a tie between Erdem and Tove, both of which presented beautiful, compelling and desirable collections but with their own distinct narratives that are perfect for the Harrods client.
Tove
Courtesy of Tove
Best show format: Roksanda’s latest collection was a beautiful display of her strength as a colorist and her ability to create exquisitely tailored looks and striking, voluminous dresses. The show had a spectacular 360-degree view of London, which captivated the audience from the moment of arrival.
Top trends: The London fashion scene is bursting with creativity and is home to numerous unique designers and collections. Some of the key highlights were the vibrant color palettes, bold silhouettes and voluminous designs, alongside structured looks, elegant dresses and the playful use of fringing.
Must-have pieces: My must-have pieces from this week include the exquisite embellished dresses and knits from Erdem. The languid silk dresses from Tove. I’m also completely enamored with the carnation bustier dress from Simone Rocha. And let’s not forget the cutaway tailoring from Roksanda.
Richard Johnson, chief commercial and sustainability officer at Mytheresa
Favorite collection: Simone Rocha remains a standout, and this season her collection was simply exquisite. She expanded on her signature embellishments and embroideries, while introducing new, cleaner silk silhouettes.
We also adored JW Anderson, particularly the minidresses and those striking leather micro miniskirts with exaggerated lengths.
Burberry also impressed with electric silhouettes and some iconic shapes revisited with a modern twist — we are eager to see how these translate commercially in the showroom.
Backstage at Simone Rocha.
Kasia Bobula/WWD
Best show format: Roksanda delivered a truly unforgettable experience at Space House, with sweeping views of London.
Top trends: Sheer fabrics, pastels, micro minis, and intricate embellishments are dominating. We’re also seeing a lot of chic, elegant eveningwear and cocktail attire emerging.
Must-have pieces: A leather micro miniskirt from JW Anderson’s collection and a sheer masterpiece from Simone Rocha are absolute essentials.
Budgets up or down: We planned sales growth.
New talent: Standing Ground delivered a collection of truly beautiful eveningwear that showcased impeccable craftsmanship and an innovative use of silhouette. It will be exciting to see if they expand into wholesale, as their potential to influence the luxury market is undeniable. S.S. Daley also showed great promise with fresh, forward-thinking ideas.
Impressions of the week: The atmosphere in London was electric. It was wonderful to see Nensi Dojaka return with a strong show. Each London collection had a distinct point of view, and the city was buzzing with pop-ups marking the occasion. As always, the street style was vibrant, with everyone in high spirits.
Kate Benson, buying director at Net-a-porter
Favorite collection: Erdem, followed closely by JW Anderson and Simone Rocha. The loose tailoring at Erdem, designed in collaboration with Savile Row. All three collections had a conceptual-meets-commercial harmony which is what makes London Fashion Week so unique.
Best show format: JW Anderson at Old Billingsgate with the backdrop of Tower Bridge with the sunlight beaming in was London at its finest.
Top trends: Romanticism — we saw a soft femininity coming through in the collections in New York and this continued in London at Erdem and Simone Rocha with their ’20s flapper-inspired dresses or signature rose-embroidered separates respectively, or at Tove where long, fluid, silk and sheer dresses added drama to an otherwise cleaner silhouette.
The influence of Bohemia is certainly coming through and brands are embracing it through their own DNA. Sheer fabrications and lace play a huge part in this aesthetic, and we love the craftsmanship designers have applied here when using these fabrics.
Must-have pieces: A flouncy skirt as seen at JW Anderson with his sculptural miniskirt styles. I loved the crystal embellished ballerina styles at Simone Rocha. JW Anderson’s Loafer bag in spring colorways. The Bloom bag from Erdem’s new handbag line.
New talent: Standing Ground — the brand is one of the latest winners of the LVMH Prize. Whilst Michael Stewart doesn’t currently work with any retailers, it is hard to ignore his sheer talent and admiration for him doing things his own way.
Bosse Myhr, director of menswear and womenswear at Selfridges
Favorite collection: The JW Anderson collection was a standout for me. Every item feeling very desirable and something our customers will love. The dresses and oversized knits are all must-haves.
Courtesy of Nensi Dojaka/WWD
Best show format: London is very rich in locations, whether it was high up on the latest high-rise building for the Roksanda show; the Old Bailey for Simone Rocha, or the South Bank for Burberry.
Top trends: Sparkling skirts and dresses were prominent on London’s runway: JW Anderson, Erdem and 16Arlington. Nensi Dojaka and Aaron Esh provided another key standout moment with sheer fabrics and elegant black.
Must-have pieces: Any of the pieces from the Nensi Dojaka and Calvin Klein collection; a piece of outerwear from Burberry, and the dresses from JW Anderson.
New talent: Paolo Carzana is one designer we are watching. Skepta’s second season for Mains’ was a moment that was important.
Impressions of the week: London was showing up for spring 2025, showcasing new talents. London’s fashion industry showed this season again why it is mentioned as one of the main places for creativity.
Marc Rofsky, director of buying for ready-to-wear at Moda Operandi
Favorite collection: Erdem continues to dazzle us with fresh takes on historical references. Tove’s return to the runway was a highlight, featuring a covetable lineup that continues to evolve the brand to new heights. Other standouts were JW Anderson’s collection, 16Arlington’s expanded range of new techniques and silhouettes, and Simone Rocha’s pared-down yet hauntingly whimsical offering.
Backstage at Erdem.
Kasia Bobula/WWD
Top trends: The overarching trend in London was a sense of restrained opulence. Simplified silhouettes were made extraordinary with surface treatments and pops of color: there was chunky crystal embroidery at Erdem, Richard Quinn and Simone Rocha; shaggy fil coupé at Tove, Roksanda and 16Arlington, and ikat florals at Emilia Wickstead and Huishan Zhang.
Nensi Dojaka’s collaboration with Calvin Klein garnered the most buzz; lingerie and slip dressing appeared across the collections — Erdem and Simone Rocha both explored these themes beautifully. Richard Quinn’s bridal finale looks picked up on the summer whites we saw a lot of in New York.
Must-have pieces: Embroidered slipdresses from Erdem, the trompe l’oeil hoodie minidress at JW Anderson, and the collectable pieces by Nensi Dojaka for Calvin Klein — which are already live on Moda.
Budgets up or down: Budgets are in line with our curated edit of London collections.
New talent: We’re keeping our eyes on Standing Ground, S.S. Daley, Aaron Esh, and Tolu Coker.
Impressions of the week: London is succinct, both in terms of its condensed timeline and in the spirit of the collections themselves. In general, designers exhibited a more focused, edited approach, exercising conceptual restraint without sacrificing creative exuberance.
Jodi Kahn, vice president of luxury fashion at Neiman Marcus
Favorite collection: Simone Rocha was a dream with a parade of tulle- and carnation-clad beauties mid-performance, where the contrast of glamour and practicality provided a new lens on her signature romance.
JW Anderson was in the mood for a reset. His focus on materials, silhouette and accessories resulted in cheeky trompe l’oeil shifts, exaggerated knits, and fantastic boots.
Erdem’s penchant and passion for heritage was extra beautiful this season.
Standing Ground
Courtesy of Standing Ground/WWD
Best show format: Burberry’s takeover of the National Theatre allowed the models to walk out of an iconic institution then right into the street. Seeing the clothes come alive in the British sunshine as crowds peered was an amazing mega interpretation of runway to reality.
Top trends: Lingerie-inspired details at Erdem, Emilia Wickstead and Simone Rocha set a romantic tone, while grounded shoes at JW Anderson and Erdem offered a practical balance.
Embellishments stole the spotlight, with Burberry’s sequin fringe and Emilia Wickstead’s floral paillettes.
We also noticed a refreshing burst of color at Roksanda, Marques’ Almeida and Chopova Lowena, which was an energizing shift.
Must-have pieces: Simone Rocha’s cheeky handbags inspired by tutus and bouquets, and the beautifully draped blouson-bow opera coat that closed the show. Extra special denim will be a must next season; we were especially captivated by the pistachio crystal encrusted denim coat at Erdem and the sculpted amber gilet from Marques’ Almeida.
New talent: Standing Ground showed a compelling assortment of slinky, seductive eveningwear which were extra cool with a full-sleeved motorbike jacket.
Impressions of the week: London traded its signature fog for a string of late summer sunshine, and the independent designers made British fashion really shine. Girlhood and the multidimensionality of women was on the mind — Jonathan Anderson was inspired by the independence and toughness of his sister; Erdem was inspired by a female writer’s banished text, and at Simone Rocha, the isolation of performance was relatable to all women.
Laura Larbalestier, fashion director at Harvey Nichols
Favorite collection: I can’t just choose one, it had to be S.S. Daley, Simone Rocha, JW Anderson and Erdem.
Backstage at S.S. Daley.
Francisco Gomez De Villaboa/WWD
Best show format: Simone Rocha.
Top trends: It’s time to dress up and go out with lots of new takes on dressing up, embellishment and new subversive femininity emerging, especially on Sunday when the shows had a mix of tailoring and evening dresses with a modern take on masculine and feminine dressing.
Must-have pieces: JW Anderson silk bomber, a Standing Ground gown and embellished denim from Simone Rocha.
Budgets up or down: Investing in what we love and believe in.
New talent: Standing Ground.
Impressions of the week: Sunday’s sunshine mixed with great shows highlighted the talent and diversity London has to offer. Here’s to the next 40 years of London Fashion Week.
