London Fashion Week SS 2027: McQueen comes home

For the first time in years, London had the season’s most anticipated shows. From 17 to 21 September the British Fashion Council’s schedule held two homecomings, a debut by a retailer and a 170th birthday, and the city felt like a destination again rather than a stop between New York and Milan.

McQueen

On 20 September Seán McGirr brought McQueen back to London for the first time under his direction, with men’s and women’s collections together in the undercroft of Lincoln’s Inn Chapel. “McQueen is a London-born house,” he said, “and the city’s uncompromising attitude and subversive spirit sit at its very heart.”

The collection crossed Neoclassical painting with London rave: pointed shoulders, nipped waists, skinny trousers and waterfall lapels, tie-dye suiting, suits over metal breastplates, trousers slashed at the knee. Floral evening gowns were painted black or silver, and one black gown swung out over an exaggerated pannier, covered in painted black feathers. Karen Elson walked in blush pink silk under a harness of recycled silver by Shaun Leane. Huntsman made three of the tailored looks.

Camille Bidault-Waddington styled it, Anthony Turner did the hair, Tom Scutt designed and directed the show, and A.G. Cook made the soundtrack, then DJed the after-party. Emma Corrin, Emilia Clarke and Lila Moss were on the front row.

Mulberry

The same day, at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Christopher Kane showed his first collection as creative director of Mulberry, three years after closing his own label. Business of Fashion called it the most anticipated show of the week. It was a leather collection, in dresses, coats, trousers, bags and shoes. Kane went into the archive for the Mulberry tree, and an axe kept coming back as a motif. Kane called heritage a foundation, not a limit. Some editors felt the squared Bayswater fastening came back too often, but the direction was clear.

Burberry

Burberry closed the week on Monday 21 September at Chelsea College of Arts, in the house’s 170th year. Daniel Lee worked with the textile artist Celia Birtwell, who brought her vintage smiley-face designs and drew a new set of botanical prints. Trench coats came back ruffled, shortened and embellished, and the check barely appeared. Benji B built the soundtrack from four decades of David Bowie. The Impression gave it 9.1 and called it Lee’s most relaxed and convincing Burberry yet.

Central Cee walked. Romeo Beckham, Jonathan Bailey, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jason Statham, Lila Moss, Skepta and Jorja Smith watched.

Also on the schedule

• Marks & Spencer made its London Fashion Week debut in its centenary year, with a womenswear collection on sale the moment the show ended.
• Onalaja showed its first catwalk collection on 20 September.
• Simone Rocha, Erdem, Roksanda, Richard Quinn and Emilia Wickstead held the city’s line of established names.

Sources

Schedule from the British Fashion Council (londonfashionweek.co.uk). McQueen from IMAGE (Paul McLauchlan); Mulberry from Business of Fashion, Wallpaper* and Glossy; Burberry from The Impression, Who What Wear and Numéro. Pictures are the posts of the accounts named under each one, shown through Instagram.