Runway roundup: The best shows of LFW FW24

After landing from the New York Fashion Week, London has taken over to unravel the trends and the best shows of the season, which, after a break for the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid, will stop in Milan and Paris from tomorrow. Here’s a summary of some of the shows you can’t miss at LFW:

David Koma 

David Koma’s Fall-Winter 2024 collection explores the natural dialogue between light, movement and dance in the fashion universe. Through his minimalist glamour, Koma deconstructs the dress codes of dancers on and off the job, in a dialogue between the languages of the late German neo-expressionist dance pioneer Pina Bausch and Spanish contemporary performance artist Candela Capitan. The catwalk features minimalist black and white silhouettes, and the transformation of tutus and other dance elements into elegant evening gowns. Candela Capitan brings a technological perspective, reflected in sculptural fabrics. Lighting is played with through inlaid crystals and new overlapping silhouettes are created, such as skirts over pants and floor-length sheer dresses. The collection also features distinctive footwear, such as feathered satin slingbacks and thigh-high leather boots with silver toe caps.

JW Anderson

JW Anderson draws inspiration from old Britain for his new collection, highlighting the glorification of the prevailing nostalgia. He used iconic motifs from British culture, such as references to TV shows like ‘Last of the Summer Wine’, to create an atmosphere that falls somewhere between charming and grotesque. Anderson expressed in his show notes an appreciation of a shift in the perception of nostalgia in modern society, where the uninteresting can suddenly become fascinating. His focus on the grotesque and the pragmatic sought to explore a psychology behind fashion. Portraying the everyday life of any neighborhood in old Britain, JW Anderson brings to life maximalist “cable knits” and mini cocktail dresses cut centurion style with knot at the waist, and herringbone Donegal Tweed pieces whose shoulders and sleeves almost tripled the size of the models wearing them.

Ahluwalia 

Reveries, the latest fashion show by designer Priya Ahluwalia, is structured in chapters, with an atmospheric setting and musical accompaniment that makes her new proposal a modern fairy tale. Ahluwalia draws inspiration from the folklore of India and Nigeria, exploring the wisdom passed down through classic tales and myths. Ahluwalia researches both traditional and contemporary artists to capture the essence of these tales. The collection fuses elements of Indian and Nigerian folklore, such as trees, birds and crown motifs, into knitwear and recycled viscose. Both the draping techniques typical of Indian saris and ‘gele’, a traditional Nigerian fabric that women wrap around their heads, take center stage on the runway. The collaboration with Levi’s® produces three reconfigured denim looks that incorporate symbols from the collection. Ahluwalia FW24 is a demonstration of how the narrative of the past can be reinterpreted in a contemporary key.

Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha’s collection fuses Celtic mystery with French fashion, presented in a triptych of shows that culminated in London, the second chapter of which we saw in her work for Jean Paul Gaultier. Inspired by Queen Victoria’s widowhood, her new collection ranges from ornate crepe jackets to mini blazer dresses with sheer tulle and silver embellishments. Technical taffeta capes and coats in midnight blue evoke the confinement of widowhood in the 19th century, with some garments finished with sheer chiffon without hand slits. The collection showcases Rocha’s ability to combine nostalgic elements with contemporary details and a strong visual narrative.

Chet Lo 

In 1974, farmers in Shaanxi discovered the Terracotta Army after digging a well. These statues were commissioned by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China, more than 2,000 years ago. Chet Lo took inspiration from these figures for his FW24 collection, playing with spikes and colors. The season’s color palette is inspired by the work of German visual artist Gerhard Ritcher. A shoulder-cut velvet Devoré top and skirt share a pattern of repeating squares that harkens back to the decaying lamellar armor covering soldiers’ chests and references Ritcher’s 1989 painting ‘Uran’. Likewise, we’ve seen the collaboration with Charles & Keith, which takes classic garments like ballet flats and sling-back heels and subverts them into pointed variations.

Natasha Zinko

For its Fall/Winter collection, Zinko was inspired by the space age and science fiction of Kubrick and Clarke, especially “2001: A Space Odyssey”. The collection reflects the 1960s quest for escapism and human exploration. Zinko recreates the fantasy of commercial space travel with sleek, gravity-defying stewardesses. The collection immerses the audience in a universe where such travel is possible.

The designer presents an imaginary team of astronauts and crew members with a stylish closet that includes white long johns, black catsuits and flat knee-high boots. These styles represent a departure from the XXL platforms of the past. The collection captures the futuristic aesthetic and elegance of space exploration, offering a fashion vision that fuses science fiction and reality.

Dilara Fındıkoğlu

In precarious times, it questions the masculine construction of the world and its inevitable destruction. It criticizes the patriarchal agenda present in architecture, politics and health. It reflects on the violent and limiting results of an existence dominated by male power. It proposes a new world order based on feminine energy, focused on tenderness and vulnerability. For the Fall/Winter 2024 season, Dilara Fındıkoğlu a massive ritual is planned to bring this new world to life. Notions of boundaries, gender roles and time imposed by patriarchy are challenged. It seeks to create a world in the image of the divine feminine.

Di Petsa

Di Petsa presents her new collection “The body as player”, which explores the divinity of Venus and dressing as a form of worship. The runway show, which begins with live music and poetry recited by the designer herself, becomes a procession of goddesses embodying feminine archetypes. Designs include white Wetlook dresses adorned with quartz crystals, recycled coats and crocheted looks decorated with pom-pom flowers. The collection evokes angelic references and the warmth of the amniotic sac. As every season, Di Petsa’s fashion show is an act of self-love, healing and rebirth through dressing and undressing.

Burberry

In his third collection for Burberry, Daniel Lee reinterprets the iconic symbols of the brand with an innovative vision that respects tradition but elevates it to new heights of contemporary British luxury.

The runway show, held in London’s Victoria Park, was an immersive spectacle where the music of Amy Winehouse created a melancholic and evocative atmosphere where coats take center stage. The color palette reflects British landscapes, from earth tones to the greens of the vegetation, transporting viewers to the fields of Ireland and the cliffs of Cornwall. Ancestral craftsmanship merges with Lee’s modern vision, incorporating iconic Burberry motifs on bags and shoes, and creating garments that are both stylish and functional; a seamless transition between the outdoors and the indoors.

With this collection, Daniel Lee continues to cement Burberry’s position as an indispensable brand for British fashion, reinforcing its identity and bringing it back to the forefront of the global stage.