Even with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, London Fashion Week (LFW) continued on. Amid all the somber chaos, LFW brought all of its expected glamor and fashion glory. LFW stood out with its exciting focus on young talent and creatively inspired collections. This season did not simply come through with its fashion, it surpassed the bar. While each designer deserves their flowers, A Magazine has rounded up some of the top collections from this year’s London Fashion Week.

Harris Reed

Drama. Exuberance. Passion. There are not enough words to describe the magnificence of Harris Reed’s SS23 Ready-to-Wear collection. Each look was a piece of art on its own, and all the heart that Reed poured into the collection was clear as day. In celebration of the unveiling of his collection, Reed took to Instagram to reveal his inspiration and thank those involved in the process.

“A collection centered around community, collaboration and all the incredible individuals that it takes to create safe spaces for everyone to feel their most authentic selves,” Reed said in an Instagram post. “I want to thank Adam Lambert for constantly inspiring me with your fearlessness to be undeniably yourself. When my partner and I saw you performing in queen at the O2 in all your crystals and makeup and the entire arena cheered, smiled, and embraced you for you, I have never cried so much. Isn’t the ultimate dream being so deeply yourself you have never felt more you and at the same time the world embraces, doesn’t judge or box you in but LOVES YOU FOR YOU.”

The collection included Reed’s signature genderfluid flair with voluminous gowns, over-the-top hats and exaggerated silhouettes. His show-stopping looks were the perfect beginning to LFW, and only created more excitement for what’s to come from the talented designer.

Molly Goddard

Disarray seemed to be the theme of Molly Goddard’s SS23 Ready-to-Wear collection, but in all the right ways. The collection was fun and funky with its bright colors, tulle fabrics and ruffle embellishments. Goddard took the idea of clashing to another level with her profound pairing of mismatched fabrics. For the final touch, all the models were accessorized with funky colored cowboy boots. The boots may have sounded like a strange pairing, but it tied into the craziness of the collection as a whole so well that the added detail worked. 

JW Anderson

A model in an Earth printed T-shirt dress, a model in a goldfish plastic bag dress and a model in a keyboard dress all walk into an arcade—only to find out this confusing trio isn’t lost, but rather part of Jonathan Anderson’s SS23 Ready-to-wear collection. While this peculiar take on fashion may seem odd to most, for Anderson it’s exactly what he was going for. The comedic take opened a bigger door for conversation on how observers wanted to interpret this collection—and there’s not really a wrong answer. 

In addition to the pieces that caused a double take, JW Anderson inserted simpler looks that provided a bit of breather. Some of said looks included a white hoodie dress, a dark green maxi dress and a black lace trimmed slip dress. To end the collection with a bang, the label paid respect to the late queen with a T-shirt dress thanking “Her Majesty, The Queen.” The unexpected nature of this collection was a welcomed surprise and only went on to illustrate Anderson’s creative genius.

KNWLS

Y2K made its appearance with KNWLS. Designers Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault presented their collection “Glimmer” where they took their usual vixen-esque essence and channeled it into something softer. Floral prints, sheer fabrics, flowy silhouettes and a soft color palette all appeared on the runway. KNWLS also stuck to its Y2K appeal with mini skirts, low rise hemlines and body cutouts taking center stage within the collection. 

Of course the KNWLS girl was still very present even with this softer approach considering leather jackets, short hemlines, lacing and treated denim shone through as the collection progressed. With nostalgia and Y2K still relevant within the trend cycle, KNWLS’s modern interpretation was a breath of fresh air that made the label a standout during LFW.

Simone Rocha

The Simone Rocha SS23 collection was a true commitment to the idea of showing strength through femininity and it was done in an exceptional way. Pale pinks, tulle, lace, babydoll dresses and flared silhouettes all ruled the runway with the juxtaposition of bomber jackets, hard zippers and structured strap work. To add those additional details, models were accessorized with ballet-esque shoes, head veils and pearl accessories. 

What brought an added excitement to this collection was Rocha’s debut showing of menswear, where she translated the feminine aspects into soft masculinity. The menswear pieces completely embraced ruffles, dresses and loose silhouettes. The presentation in its totality was a beautiful appreciation of femininity crafted in an unpredictable fashion.

Chet Lo

For the Chinese-American designer’s first solo runway show, Chet Lo pulled inspiration from his culture and childhood. The designer took his signature spikes and incorporated them within a collection that honors his heritage. Growing up Buddhist, Lo included dresses with lotus motifs and inserted unique cutouts throughout his line that were symbolic of the slashing from arrows that were part of a Buddhist tale.

His typical fun theme was not left behind, with bold colors, dramatic hats and massive beach ball inspired bags making the catwalk. For his first solo show, Lo left it all on the runway and opened a door for more conversation about embracing cultural representation in fashion.

Richard Quinn

Richard Quinn ended LFW on both a high and somber note with the SS23 collection paying respect to the death of the queen. The line started off with traditional funeral-esque pieces with back to back all black garments and models adorned in face veils. As the show went on, the black began to fade away and vibrant pieces took its place. 

The joyful garments had originally been the main collection, but after the news of the queen had been announced, Quinn created the melancholy themed garments from scratch to include in the show. The complete 180 from somber to upbeat didn’t drop the feeling of high fashion that the collection started off with. For all the vibrant prints and bold hues, signature Richard Quinn marks were very present.

The latex leggings, the voluminous gowns, the play on proportions—it was without a doubt a Richard Quinn collection and a grand way to close LFW.

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Hi, I’m Catie Pusateri, the Editor-in-Chief of A Magazine. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we receive support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.