London Fashion Week has officially wrapped for the Spring/Summer 2026 season, running from September 18th-22nd. It was the first under new BFC head Laura Weir, and one that was filled with all manner of standout shows, buzzy designer debuts, glitzy events, milestone brand moments and celebrity-filled front rows.
As ever, there was a lot going on—so whether you were in attendance or not, we've rounded up all of the major highlights from each day in one place to catch you up on all the most important events.
Here, you’ll find all of the biggest talking points and memorable moments from the SS26 edition of London Fashion Week, from surprise A-list appearances and emerging rends, to the most notable collections and items that editors are already adding to their mental wish-lists.
London Fashion Week SS26: Day Five Highlights
Burberry's Star-Studded Great British Festival
Burberry once again closed out London Fashion Week with a bang, bringing together big-name celebrities, musicians, fashion world icons and top editors in the exclusive surrounds of Kensington Palace Gardens. The list of VIPs was astounding, even by Burberry's high standards, and saw hundreds of Londoners crowd outside the venue for their chance to glimpse the likes of Sir Elton John, Central Cee, Raye, Twiggy, Lila Moss, Alexa Chung, the Gallagher brothers, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders, who served a surprise Ab Fab reunion.
As the guest-list might suggest, Daniel Lee's latest collection celebrated the powerful connection between fashion and music. "Music is about self-expression, originality and belonging. From festivals and stadiums to open-air concerts, every summer the UK comes to life with style and sound," explained Lee in the show notes. "Musicians have always been pioneers—fearless in the way they dress and sound. A legacy you’ll see in the looks, cast and styling." Hence: the festival-style tent setting (albeit of an extremely luxurious kind, and with painted-on blue skies), and on the catwalk, Noughties-style skinny scarves, boho fringing, lace-up boots, crochet, paillettes, parkas and suede aplenty.
Nanushka's London Debut
Hungarian-based brand Nanushka celebrated its 20th anniversary with an intimate show in an elegant South Kensington townhouse—its first-ever at London Fashion Week, and hopefully the start of many more. Founder and creative director Sandra Sándor took inspiration from Cuban furniture designer Clara Porset for the SS26 collection, that was entitled 'The Weave' and "paid homage to the spirit of functional beauty," per the show notes. Think: elegantly clashing prints, sensory textures, natural forms and crafted details that exude the "warmth, vibrancy and energy" of the season—and for many, resulted in an extremely long wish list following the show. The funnel-neck bomber jackets, striped dress and mens suede two-piece are top of mine.
Ashish Is Making Fashion Fun Again
The London-based, Delhi-born designer Ashish Gupta brought a much-needed injection of joy and energy to the final afternoon of Fashion Week, putting on a show that saw models expressively dance their way along the catwalk in his brand's typically bold, colourful, sparkly, happy-making clothes. An important reminder that fashion needn't always be so serious—it's for having unrestrained fun in, too. Meanwhile, a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan 'Fashion Not Fascism' will do doubt be a best-seller.
Susan Fang Does Sci-Fi
The ever-innovative designer Susan Fang transported guests to an imagined future in the year 5202, "where nature and technology breathe as one". Set in the plant-filled Barbican Conservatory, a combination of live music, dance performances and bubble sculptures made for a multi-sensory experience—and the perfect backdrop for Fang's Spring/Summer 2026 collection. Cutting-edge technology and techniques were used to craft surreal silhouettes, dream-like details and soft, airy textures, while the designer's signature laser-cut flower petals and bubble beads were also front and centre. Highlights included surreal bridal designs and dresses, bags and glasses covered in hundreds of tiny mushrooms, so detailed that they almost looked alive.
London Fashion Week SS26: Day Four Highlights
Erdem Turns 20
For Spring/Summer 2026, Erdem Moralioglu was inspired by Hélène Smith, the late 19th-century Swiss medium, who was an Indian princess and member of the French court. She believed she had lived other lives at different times and in different places. Though Smith was eventually discredited, what endured was her relentless self-reinvention through art—a refusal to be confined to a single narrative. Reflecting this idea of transformation, the collection showcased antique lace, corsets, bustles, and delicate hand embroidery inspired by her paintings—with just as much detail on the back as the front. While Erdem’s signature craftsmanship remained (few designers on the London Fashion Week schedule can match his attention to detail), there was a surprising sense of ease to this collection: more relaxed, more colourful, and altogether more playful. An excellent way to mark 20 years of the brand, that remains independently owned to this day.
Quiet Evolution At Tove
Tove's SS26 collection—aptly named 'Confidence in Subversion'—saw the brand lean into sensuality more than ever before, albeit in their signature grown-up, elevated way. Structured high-neck tops featured unexpectedly exposed backs, Grecian-style gowns were crafted from fabrics that were subtly sheer in all the right places, and fluid dresses were slashed at the torso to reveal a surprise hint of skin. Meanwhile, the tailoring was fabulously fluid, the separates soft and silky, and jackets made from desaturated suede. As ever, these are pieces that offer that perfect mix of understated ease and comfort while still having the power to command a room—something that only women designing for other women can really do.
A Springtime Promenade With Kent & Curwen
Just over a year since making its London Fashion Week debut, heritage brand Kent & Curwen is already a much-loved fixture on the schedule thanks to its signature British eccentric aesthetic and transportive shows. This season, guests were immersed in the beauty of the Royal Parks, by way of screens set up around the Royal Horticultural Halls venue that displayed scenes of a typical British summer, from early-morning lido swimmers and leisurely dog walkers to the pedalos that pepper the Serpentine—all of which acted as inspiration for 'The Blossoming' collection. There were silhouettes and skirts reminiscent of swans, bags shaped like rugby balls and picnic blanket-like checks, alongside florals, colour-pop stripes, and crisp sporty whites. Preppy as ever, but decidedly fresh and delightfully wearable. Set against Erland Cooper's calming piano music, which the composer performed live, the show provided a much-needed moment of escapism for those in the throes of Fashion Week madness—much like London's parks do for inhabitants of the bustling metropolis.
Talia Byre's Runway Debut
Buzzy, up-and-coming brand Talia Byre kicked off a sunny day four with an intimate show on the edge of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens-its first since launching in 2020. “A manifesto to the clothes I want to wear,” as designer Talia Lipkin-Connor put it, the collection featured signature rugby stripes in new iterations alongside tailored trousers, bodysuits, light knits, apron dresses cut from bridal satin, and, for the first time, florals—all not just wearable, but downright desirable. You could almost see editors making a mental shopping list as each look emerged—and eyeing up the brilliantly reworked Uggs to boot.
London Fashion Week SS26: Day Three Highlights
A Supermodel Moment at Richard Quinn
Olivia Palermo, Saweetie, Amy Jackson, Lucy Bronze and more descended on the historic Sinfonia Smith Square for a 'A Night at the Opera', Richard Quinn style. Inside, extravagant floral displays, crystal chandeliers, gleaming marble fixtures and the English Chamber Orchestra awaited guests, whose annoyance at the hour-plus delay dissipated the moment Naomi Campbell stormed down the runway to open the show. As ever, sweeping princess gowns and old-world, grand bal glamour were the order of the day, and glittering embellishments, dramatic tulle skirts and big bows reigned supreme.
Ahluwalia's Exploration of Love
From Bollywood cinema to the Taj Mahal, Ahluwalia's collection—entitled 'Affinity'—paid homage to the high and lows of romantic love. Designs featured cultural motifs, embellishments and headwear that referenced her joint Indian and Nigerian heritage, though overall, it felt more elegant and pared-back than collections past. There was a stronger-than-usual emphasis on tailoring, while standout looks featured oversize fringed bags and blazers, alongside deliciously draped fabrics and satin dresses.
Jerry Hall: The Completedworks Clairvoyant
We’ve grown to depend on Completedworks to bring a touch of drama to London Fashion Week proceedings, and the contemporary jewellery brand dutifully obliged yet again—this season, tapping the iconic Jerry Hall to take the stage for its latest sketch. Her role? A fortune-telling tele-sales host, who ‘reads the soul’ of jewellery, vases, and trinkets from the brand’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection. The light-heartedly satirical script was specially commissioned for the occasion, and also featured cameos from Josephine De La Baume and Raven Smith.
Patrick McDowell's Love Letter to Lancashire
For his first show since winning the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design earlier this year—presented to him by the Princess of Wales, no less—Patrick McDowell went back to his roots. His SS26 collection is an ode to his late grandmother, who was born in Lancashire in 1923 to a family of fabric weavers, and inspired the designer to start sewing at a young age.
McDowell’s emotional tribute to his very own ‘Lancashire Rose’ included recordings of his grandmother’s voice intertwined in the show soundtrack and a recreation of her original passport (that held the show notes and a QR code for a video of her story), as well as rose motifs, and vintage-inspired silhouettes and design details. Battersea Power Station’s recently renovated Control Room A formed a fitting backdrop for guests that included the Spencer twins, Charli Howard, top editors and three generations of McDowell’s family.
London Fashion Week SS26: Day Two Highlights
Labrum's Epic "Osmosis" Collection
A collection that felt like a tale of two halves, yet ultimately was a cohesive study in delightful discord—true to Labrum’s world, where art, fashion, music, and culture intersect to create magic. Ultimately, wearability becomes key and looking beyond the playful styling, Labrum SS26 if full of clothes you’ll actually want to wear. Jewel tones—opal, ruby, and amethyst—appeared in bold blocks colours offset by utilitarian neutrals like khaki, muted lilac, and beige. Silver, shell-like stones, and rope embellishments became conversation pieces, adorning jacket hems, headwear, and ornate body jewellery.
Chopova's Take On Cheer
Classic Chopova Lowena—riotous fun and full of spirit. Naturally, skirts took centre stage, from denim drop-waists to chain mail iterations, with ornate riveting, lacing, and playful adornments. The modern pearly queen with a punk edge. “Cheerlore” brought football, cheerleading, and Bulgarian costume references into a modern clubhouse uniform—part team spirit, part rebellion. For the bold: do what you feel, wear the full look, play with colour and print! But for those print shy: look to simple singular statement pieces that will add depth to your wardrobe.
Fashion East Turns 25
To celebrate its 25th year as London's foremost talent incubator, Fashion East took over the Institute of Contemporary Arts—both for a dedicated retrospective exhibition (that runs until 21st September) as well as its Spring/Summer 2026 show. As ever, it showcased the work of three up-and-coming designers: Louis Mayhew (of Mayhew), Cameron Williams (Nuba) and Jacek Gleba, whose collections were undoubtedly some of the most cutting-edge and out-there we've seen this season so far.
Mithridate's Stellar Second Outing
Daniel Fletcher's second collection for Mithridate was a triumph, a combination of “1980s city revelry and British sporting heritage,” per the show notes. Town and country aesthetics were blended into one, as models emerged from the sun-soaked Royal Opera House backdrop in sharp tailoring, rugby shirts, sequin skirts and bomber jackets—while striped shirts, colourful knits and socks with loafers acted as a nod to school-day style. Hence the collection titled and opening song: Edge Of Seventeen. Even the front row was on-theme, filled with actors like Asa Butterfield, Georgie Farmer and Ellie Bamber, who made their name on hit teen shows.
London Fashion Week SS26: Day One Highlights
H&M's Celebrity Extravaganza
H&M helped kick off London Fashion Week with a serious bang, as it took over 180 Strand for its first on-schedule show in seven years—and everyone from Central Cee, Little Simz and Gabbriette to ASAP Nast and Emily Ratajkowski was there to mark the occasion (along with about 700 more guests).
But it wasn't just the front row that was star-studded: the show itself saw top models Lila Moss, Iris Law, Paloma Elsesser, Amelia Gray and Alex Consani take to the runway dressed in the Autumn/Winter 2025 collection, and there was a surprise catwalk cameo from appearance from Romeo Beckham to boot. And the cherry on top? Lola Young's live performance to close out the show, as the models danced along. Now that's how you make your grand return.
eBay's Pre-Loved Fashion Show
For the second season in a row, eBay hosted a catwalk show made up entirely of pre-loved fashion sourced directly from the site—this time, including designer gems from the likes of Acne, Louis Vuitton, Chopova Lowena, Paco Rabanne, McQueen and Givenchy. The inventive ensembles were expertly assembled by eBay's pre-loved style director Amy Bannerman, with each piece available to shop in real time as it came down the runway.
