London Fashion Week SS27: A Comprehensive Rundown of the Season’s Defining Runways and Debuts

In the blink of an eye, the whirlwind that was London Fashion Week SS27 has been and gone. The September show schedule is always the most jam-packed of the year, and this season’s agenda was practically overflowing with shows, presentations, exhibitions, parties, and talks. Between the high-profile homecomings, anticipated debuts, and unexpected catwalk cameos, the fashion world has closely tracked every major moment. For a more comprehensive roundup of the runways that shaped the season, the key collections and presentations tell the story of a dynamic week in the British capital.

SELASI

For SS27, designer Ronan McKenzie welcomed guests directly into her conceptual body shop. Staging this season’s show at a luxury vehicle repair specialist, attendees had to make their way across London to M&A Coachworks in Tuffnell Park, which serves as a remote outpost for fashion’s central London set. Nevertheless, the journey proved worthwhile as McKenzie expanded upon the identity of the Selasi woman for SS27, shifting away from the upcycled dresses of previous seasons in favor of a full-on motorcar narrative.

"McKenzie looked to the automobile not simply as a machine, but as a space of possibility," read the official show notes. "The sanctuary of the driver’s seat, the conversations that happen behind closed car doors, the women who have travelled alongside her."

The curving structural lines of automobiles and the female form were brought together in striking harmony throughout the presentation, while plunging jersey silhouettes and tactile suede made for a visually arresting collection. A joyful cast featuring friends and family of the designer also provided one of the most endearing moments of the week.

FRANCESCA LAKE

A major surprise on the opening day of London Fashion Week SS27 arrived courtesy of Francesca Lake, whose anticipated debut presentation materialized instead as a full-blown catwalk show featuring two separate runs across a two-hour slot. The event was held in the basement of 180 The Strand, marking the first showcase of the season in the revitalized NEWGEN catwalk space. The venue’s entrance received a polished update as part of broader efforts to refine the visitor experience at London Fashion Week.

A Central Saint Martins graduate and native of Kingston, Jamaica, Lake has built a reputation on celebrating the maximalist aesthetic of her home country. SS27 served as a masterful expansion of that foundational work. Titled Wake The Town, the collection drew direct inspiration from the traditions of processions and wakes in Jamaica, with the title functioning as a clever double entendre. On the runway, models appeared encased in dramatic concertina folds or covered entirely from head to toe in intricate lace. A bodice constructed from an expanse of pearls gleamed under the stark lighting, while imposing collars and precise structured tailoring injected a formal rigor into proceedings, even as heavy applications of leather and denim grounded the looks.

ASHLEY WILLIAMS

London Fashion Week veteran Ashley Williams returned to the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) for SS27, bringing her distinct and subversive depiction of femininity along with her. This season, the British designer turned her attention inward, appealing to the domestic reclusive tendencies within modern life by centering her collection on individuals who rarely, if ever, leave the house.

"For SS27, Ashley Williams asks what life looks like when interiority is all that remains," stated the pastel-coloured show notes distributed across the white benches. "House clothes take new shapes after years spent inside."

Williams’ cast of characters first emerged on the runway clad in a brown and yellow print straight out of the 1970s—reminiscent of vintage upholstery or heavy window drapes. The lineup progressed to include a sun-bleached fleece that looked as though it had spent years resting by a sunlit windowpane, alongside nightgowns ingeniously repurposed into tracksuits and casual tops. Accessories matched the eccentric tone of the garments: the majority of models wore hosiery stuffed with plush toys, while a large ceramic cat figurine was strapped around one model’s waist to serve as an unconventional belt.

"Cherished trinkets collect fine dust on the bedside table and wood panelled walls form a protective cave where dreams finally settle," the designer wrote.

A LETTER

This season marked a significant milestone for design duo Matt Empringham and Freddy Coomes, who staged their debut runway show under their newly adopted name, A Letter (formerly known as Aletta). The pair met on the very first day of their foundation course at Central Saint Martins and have maintained a close creative partnership ever since. Having founded their label at the start of 2025, they have quickly solidified their reputation over the past 18 months as one of London’s most exciting emerging brands.

For SS27, A Letter took over Bethnal Green’s Rose Easton Gallery to present their most pared-back collection to date. While previously known for experimental textile explorations—such as crafting garments out of paper—the designers kept silhouettes deliberately simple this season. The presentation relied on a tight cast of just five models, who each walked the runway six times. By completing two laps of the space during each rotation, the models allowed backstage teams sufficient time for rapid quick-changes. The ambitious concept was uniquely suited to the simplicity of the garments; any intricate fastenings or complex buttons would have necessitated a larger cast. Instead, the audience was treated to a series of square-necked minidresses, ultra-light and easily wearable materials, and a single straightforward white T-shirt stamped with a large capital "A" to cement the brand’s new moniker.

STEVE O SMITH

Offering an alternative to traditional runway formats, Steve O Smith hosted an intimate salon-style presentation on Saturday afternoon for an audience of roughly 30 guests. Held inside the Royal College of Art’s historic life-drawing room—which first opened in the 1860s—the presentation reversed expectations. Rather than inviting top fashion editors to take up sketching, the designer brought his own drawings to physical life.

Smith entered the space ahead of the first model, operating in complete silence. There was no background music or curated soundtrack, leaving only the acoustic rhythm of the model’s footsteps and the sound of Smith’s own voice as he guided the audience through the inspiration behind each look. As the designer explained, every garment originated from a quick sketch, created by letting ink dictate the form rather than beginning with a preconceived narrative. After producing hundreds of sketches, he selected specific drawings to translate into real-life garments. Drawing aesthetic inspiration from artists such as André Derain, George Grosz, and Henri Matisse, Smith restricted his palette to just four shades: red, cobalt, Prussian blue, and black. Having been awarded the Karl Lagerfeld Prize at the 2025 LVMH Prize last year, the presentation signaled a bright trajectory for the young designer.

AHLUWALIA

London Fashion Week frequently directs attention to the city’s diverse and unexpected locations, ranging from bowling alleys to historic academic institutions. Priya Ahluwalia utilized this spatial exploration by hosting her SS27 show at Rosewood London, a luxury five-star hotel situated in Holborn.

Born and raised in southwest London, Ahluwalia is celebrated for examining her Indian-Nigerian heritage through her design work. For this collection, she drew inspiration from Festac ’77, the historic month-long festival of African arts and culture hosted in Lagos that brought together 16,000 creatives from across Africa and the global diaspora. Photographer Marilyn Nance famously described the gathering as "the Olympics, plus a biennial, plus Woodstock. But Africa style."

Ahluwalia’s mood board featured imagery merging celebration with quiet resistance, including archival photographs of off-duty Black Panthers. The showcase also served as the debut platform for her latest footwear collaboration with Puma, positioning the partnership as a notable release for the upcoming year.

BARBOUR

The season was characterized by a distinct homecoming movement for several quintessentially British brands. Marks & Spencer commemorated a century of fashion with its inaugural runway show, Mulberry introduced incoming creative director Christopher Kane, Alexander McQueen returned to the UK capital for the first time in 25 years, and Burberry returned home following a showcase in Athens.

Barbour also participated in the city-wide celebrations. The 136-year-old British heritage brand, globally renowned for its traditional wax jackets, curated an immersive exhibition dedicated entirely to tartan. Partnering with the British Fashion Council, the brand transformed the Saatchi Gallery to trace the history of its foundational tartans alongside various high-profile collaborations with designers such as Erdem and Gucci. The space featured a live workshop demonstrating the traditional waxing process, alongside a pub-style bar that offered a gathering point for attendees between shows.

MULBERRY

The fashion community experienced widespread disappointment when Christopher Kane announced the closure of his eponymous brand in 2023. Following a three-year hiatus from the official fashion calendar, it was announced earlier this year that the Scottish designer would step into the role of creative director at Mulberry. On Sunday, the industry celebrated Kane’s official return to London Fashion Week with a runway show staged inside Parliament Square’s Queen Elizabeth II Centre.

For his debut collection under the label, Kane chose to adopt a clean slate. Working with muted tones and uncomplicated silhouettes, he focused on establishing a solid foundation for future development while remaining true to Mulberry’s heritage as a leather goods house founded in 1971 by Roger Saul and his mother, Joan. Supple leather was fashioned into skirts, dresses, T-shirts, jackets, and blazers, while Kane also introduced new bag shapes, including the Axe and the Chop. Though the absence of his independent label continues to be felt, his return to the active fashion schedule has been welcomed by the industry.