JW Anderson SS25

JW Anderson SS25

The day kicked off with the former, courtesy of JW Anderson. Alongside textured knitted dresses and full-brim leather skirts and silk bomber jackets, there were plenty of clothes to see you through a night out. It was easy to picture the silk and sequin mini dresses paired with stompy ankle booties on the streets of London in the early hours, while at Knwls, south London-based duo Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault showcased their signature brand of ‘London cool-girl with a touch of grunge’. Models strutted the catwalk (yes, strutted!) with a hefty dose of attitude, the collection itself a mix of motorcycle-style leather separates, denim corsets with coordinating low slung trousers, and flirty dresses in floral or ditzy prints.

Knwls SS25

Knwls SS25

16Arlington, too, was a lesson in how to dress for a good time, with designer Marco Capaldo returning to a sexier aesthetic than we’ve seen from the brand in recent seasons. ‘I wanted a return to the fun, sexy spirit that 16Arlington has been known for,’ he said. The collection was 16’s signature of sensual yet sophisticated, with plenty of plunging necklines among the python hot pants beneath shaggy coats and slouchy suede trousers teamed with subtly sheer tank tees. The crystal-embellished micro mini skirts and draped sheer dresses in pops of pink, yellow and orange felt celebratory.

16Arlington SS25

16Arlington SS25

Emilia Wickstead SS25

Emilia Wickstead SS25

Another recurring theme among the shows was concepts of modern femininity, with designers exploring the push and pull between masculine and feminine. Emilia Wickstead played with this duality with her collection Inspired by the work of German-born French photographer Gisèle Freund, who throughout the 1940s photographed South American women like politician and actress Eva Perón, and writer Victoria Ocampo. Feminine silhouettes in the form of floral silk and embellished dresses and full skirts, were juxtaposed against tailored suiting in powder blue, pink and cream colour palette. Tailoring was peppered throughout Roksanda’s collection, too, a sharp jacket styled over a feather-embellished skirt, or sleek trousers styled beneath her voluminous taffeta gowns in vibrant hues.

Roksanda SS25

Roksanda SS25

But the idea was most stark at Erdem, which showed a tribute to the protagonists of Radclyffe Hall’s 1928 queer love story ‘The Well of Loneliness’, Stephen Gordon, a woman living as a man, and Mary Llewellyn, against the dramatic backdrop of the British Museum. Like Hall’s novel, which was banned from circulation, the SS25 collection played with tensions between traditional constructs of masculine and feminine dressing and identity, with beautifully tailored suiting (made in collaboration with Saville Row’s Edward Sexton) mixed in with delicate dresses in simple ‘20s-esque silhouettes, finished with ornate embellishments.

Erdem SS25

Erdem SS25

A highlight of the day was Simone Rocha, the master of subversive femininity, who brought the fashion crowd out to London’s Central Criminal Court, better known as The Old Bailey.

Simone Rocha SS25

Simone Rocha SS25

Among a parade of Simone Rocha ballerinas, their tutus styled with knits and dresses in the designer’s classic silhouettes, the mixed gender cast of models wore tinsel hot pants with coordinating cardis, delicate floral organza coats and dresses, ballet slippers and embellished denim and tailoring. The menswear was as soft and sensual as the womenswear, yet felt just as empowering. It was a showcase of what Rocha does best.

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