From Dilara to Jawara, here’s everything to look out for this season
On Tuesday (Feb 11), we waved goodbye to New York Fashion week for another season. The womenswear shows in the Big Apple may have come to a close, but not before they brought us mutant dolls, tamagotchis, and David Lynch-inspired collections.
Unusually, there’s more than a week-long break before shows kick off in London next Thursday evening (February 20). The calendar change comes after London, Milan and Paris all shifted their dates back a week, giving designers slightly more time between each season, with New York set to follow suit come September. Instead of jumping immediately from one fashion capital to the next, this season, showgoers have the luxury of a small pause, before launching into the European shows next week.
First up, it’s our beloved London. Opening as usual on Thursday evening will be Harris Reed, followed by Central Saint Martins’ MA show, which only happens once a year given the course’s schedule and is set to celebrate the graduating class of 2025. And it’s a big night for CSM. At the same time across the capital, a new exhibition opens its doors celebrating 50 years of the college’s Fashion Communication and Promotion pathway. The exhibition will showcase a range of work from the industry heavyweights who studied FCP, including Dazed editor-in-chief IB Kamara.
Also that evening, here at Dazed, we’ll be hosting an event in celebration of Saul Nash and Lululemon’s latest collaboration. We caught up with Nash following his Milan show last month, which you can read here. Notably, some big players are absent from the LFW schedule this season. The likes of JW Anderson, Chopova Lowena, KNWLS, Priya Ahluwalia, and 16Arlington are all sitting out this season. That said, there’s plenty to be excited by.
Friday (February 21) gets off to an early start with SS Daley, followed by Talia Byre and Di Petsa, before all eyes fall to Fashion East. This LFW season, the fashion incubator celebrates its 25th anniversary and, just yesterday, revealed its AW25 lineup including Olly Shinder, Louther and Nuba. The triple-bill catwalk will be followed by Richard Quinn, before Dilara Findikoglu makes her grand return. If Dilara’s last show is anything to go by, she no doubt has something dark, synched and spectacular up her sleeve.
On Saturday (22nd), Tottenham-based newcomer Charlie Constantinou returns to the official LFW schedule for a second time. After making his NewGen debut last season, the designer was initially billed for a presentation this time around, though has last-minute changed his mind and is instead putting on a full scale show. Later that day, LVMH Prize nominee Sinéad O'Dwyer will deliver her latest offering, after causing a whole lot of sapphic commotion last season. Following O’Dwyer, Rihanna’s favourite designer (and now Shakira’s too) Jawara Alleyne will make his on-schedule debut.
On Sunday (23rd), Chet Lo returns to the NewGen catwalk space and Simone Rocha will unveil her latest collection. After showing via presentation last season, Conner Ives makes a highly anticipated return to the catwalk – his last show was held in the Savoy’s Lancaster ballroom and opened by Alex Consani – followed by Erdem and Tolu Cocker. Closing out Sunday’s schedule is one-to-watch Paolo Carzana, who accidentally stole the show last season with his hidden gem of a collection that brought crowds to tears while they sat in the designer’s own east London back garden. Carzana’s was the (slightly unexpected) name on everyone’s lips and this show will be a popular one.
Bright and early Monday morning, Ashish is back with a catwalk this season, having not shown since September 2023. Then, Yaku is back for a second season after making his debut in September, followed by a series of digital events from the likes of Masha Popova, Johanna Parv and Derrick. As usual, Burberry will bring London Fashion Week to a glitzy close, undoubtedly delivering a heavy helping of famous faces. If the brand’s latest campaign is anything to go by, we can expect Michael Ward, Aimee Lou Wood, Naomi Campbell, Nicholas Hoult and maybe even Kate Winslet. On paper, it might seem like a quieter than usual schedule. But even with slightly less shows, London will always find a way to make a racket.