This London Fashion Week was a bit more complex than previous years with the nation in a state of mourning, but that didn’t diminish the beautiful works of many UK-based designer brands. Some, like Richard Quinn and Harris Reed, decided to pay homage to the late Queen Elizabeth II in various ways with Quinn reimagining almost the entirety of his collection.

After being awarded the first ever Queen Elizabeth the II award for design from the Queen herself in 2018, Quinn’s grief was evident. The looks, inspired by traditional black mourning fashions, were pulled together in only 10 days with his core team of six being joined by 20 both day and night. “It was a real labour of love, I suppose. It was almost cathartic for us to put all of our emotions of mourning into it,” he said. “We wanted it to have that kind of real craftsmanship, the beauty of royalty, and to try to turn all of the shapes and embroidery that we do into that kind of that idea of uniform dressing up they did when her father [King George VI] died.”

Images: Daniele Oberrauch

Gothic vibes were also apparent at Keiyan Wong’s debut brand tæfita’s show. The Hong Kong born designer who graduated from the London College of Fashion earlier this year, channeled her love of draping into a selection of garments made of innovative cutting and shaping. With a focus on andorgyny, every piece of this collection was designed to be non-binary.

Images courtesy of Keiyan Wong

Veils were, of course, a common thread at the Quinn show due to their placement in mourning, but they also showed themselves in several other collections. At the Erdem Spring/Summer 2023 show in the historic shadow of the British Museum, models seemed to float along the runway evoking the Willis from the classic ballet Giselle. Romantic and, at its heart, historical this collection was a love letter to years gone by.

Similar to the graceful veils, tulle has also been a clear trend this year in London, perhaps most evidently at Simone Rocha. Never afraid of tulle and a rounder silhouette, this show felt quintessentially Rocha. “This collection was very much a reaction to the last few years. It was very much harnessing an emotion that felt like this kind of powerful, feminine statement,” said Rocha of her collection. Seemingly, in Rocha’s world, this emotion is wrapped up in darling pastels, oversized puffer jackets, corsetry detailing and volume.

Rocha can always a fellow lover of volume in Molly Godard who once again showed an exemplery Spring 2023 collection with a line-up of polka dot tulles, tailored suits and knit cardigans. On how she creates her characteristically fun and colourful designs Godard said “When I start a collection, it’s sketches, silhouettes, fabrics, textures: we swatch fabric samples and work out frills, and frills in different fabrics, and the combination of prints. I love clashing prints, clashing colors, and clashing textures.”

Images: Daniele Oberrauch

On the opposite end of the spectrum, silks also showed themselves to be retaining their status of popularity. Christopher Kane showed designs that honour the feminine body, with silks and satins creating some of the most excellent looks of the entire assembly. “I’m dissecting a woman. Dissecting her in the best possible ways. It’s forensic. In a good way!”

The female body was front and centre at other brands too, with the nipple trend of NYFW crossing the Atlantic. “This collection is about my journey to physical and spiritual freedom,” said Dilara Findikoglu of her much-praised Spring 2023 collection. With a myriad of historical inspirations from Y2K to the 1890s and further back, there was a lot of skin on show but it didn’t feel overtly sexual. “I want to take my burdens off: I feel strangled with modesty, I hate modesty, I want to destroy it.”

Another stand out show from this September’s fashion week was Apujan. The womenswear designer who first showed in London back in 2013, combined fashion with drama, with actors such as Wilson Hsu and Yi-Jui taking part. Sleek and refined, with over 30 new items of clothing, the collection incorporated symbols of the ‘journey to the west’ with intricate embroidery. The whole show felt like a movie, and well worth a watch!