The best moments from London Fashion Week

This September saw citywide celebrations of London Fashion Week’s 40th anniversary – the biannual event has helped turn the UK’s largest creative industry into a powerhouse of inspiration and influence. From those early days, when a handful of designers showed their collections in car parks, to an industry that now employs 800,000 people and is worth £26 billion to the UK’s GDP, LFW saw the city in optimistic mood.

Over five days the global fashion pack attended an array of catwalk shows, intimate presentations and star-studded parties, the most hotly sought ticket being a reception at Downing Street where Prime Minister Starmer pledged support to designers during his tenure at Number 10. Victoria Starmer was there to greet guests, too, having taken a front row seat at Edeline Lee earlier that day. Also worn by the Princess of Wales, Edeline Lee’s focus on demure dresses is a hit with grown-up women everywhere and her spring 2025 collection was a show of beautifully structured dresses, modern polka dots plus a cute dog and some cuter kids who joined Lee’s finale bow.

Belted Pedernal midi dress, £890; Edeline Lee at Harrods

For an edgier take on the new season, JW Anderson is always a must-see show. The Irish designer is famed for a Surrealist take on getting dressed and pulls a crowd of deeper thinkers, keen to get more from their clothes than just a cover-up. Trompe l’oeil buttons on silk shifts and mini dresses exited with cropped jackets with exaggerated shoulders and extra-long sleeves. As cerebral as it sounds, Anderson’s outerwear is always a hit.


Hourglass double-breasted blazer, £950; JW Anderson at Harvey Nichols

It’s long been a red-carpet staple, but sheer dressing easily translates into the real world with clever layering. Puffs of sheer tulle and organza were spotted at Simone Rocha, who has made transparent details her signature. Don’t be scared of sheer, instead piece together several separates to create an intriguing, layered look that’s edgy and chic.


Crystal-embellished silk-organza midi dress, £1,995; Simone Rocha at Harvey Nichols

As one of the oldest brands in Britain, Burberry, founded in 1856, is considering how to make its traditional staples modern. Under current creative director Daniel Lee, the solution is in the mix. For spring 2025 the runway was full of pale shades across men’s and womenswear. A baby-pink Harrington-style jacket and coordinating trousers were a stand-out, while Burberry’s iconic outerwear, trench coats and parkas featured heavily, most interestingly styled over sequin mini-dresses in sparkly pastel colours. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jade Thirlwall, Jerry Hall and Lizzy Jagger, Lila Moss and Barry Keoghan made it the starriest frow of the week.


Long gabardine trench coat, £2,190; Burberry

Beyond those sequin mini-dresses, Erdem’s elegant collection was a play between masculine and feminine tropes and featured an array of crystal-encrusted styles which will be divine for summer parties. They wouldn’t be out of place for winter festivities, too, if you want to get involved in the trend early. Pump up the gems.

Embellished cape-detail gown, £3,695, Erdem at Harrods

Alexandra Fullerton is former fashion director at Stylist and Glamour and is a freelance fashion author, journalist and consultant