Five trends to look out for at London Fashion Week
While you may have just pulled out your cosy knits from the back of the wardrobe, it's time to get thinking about what you'll be wearing in eight months time, because London Fashion Week is back.
Over the next few days, hundreds of designers will showcase their weird, wonderful and wacky spring/summer 2025 collections around the capital.
This year's event promises an exciting mix of vivid colours, creative patterns, and attention-grabbing accessories.
Here are five key trends to look out for.
1. Bold colours
Neutral tones and minimalist palettes begone, this year it's all about being bold.
Adam Laws, a fashion expert and founder of Baked Clay London, predicts blue will be "the IT colour".
"We’re currently seeing the rise of the ‘Unexpected Blue Theory’ trend - adding a pop of blue to a muted or neutral outfit to create an eye-catching and elevated look," he tells the BBC.
Of course, in the fashion world, an item of clothing can't just be blue, so Laws says he thinks cornflower and cobalt blue will make a particular appearance across shows.
He says the colour also ties in with the "likelihood of us seeing double denim back on the catwalk" in a nod to the 90s trend that has regained popularity over the past years.
It won't just be blue outfits that will be making an appearance - some designers will likely incorporate the bold colour more discreetly.
At New York Fashion week, coloured mascara was all the rage and the cobalt blue mascara was a particular stand out at LaQuan Smith's catwalk.
During the February London Fashion Week pastel hues were all over the runway from lilac puffer jackets to baby pink padded coats, and it seems like the trend will continue.
Designer Patrick McDowell says we should look out for soft pastel shades like lemon and peach which "are symbols of hope and brighter times".
Their SS25 collection "embraces these joyful pastels via prints and colourways" which create a sense of "bright optimism".
2. Maximalist patterns
Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.
While Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada would turn her nose up at the suggestion, we can expect to see a lot of it on the catwalk.
As we've ditched the clean girl aesthetic, we can also bank on other maximalist patterns like spikes, fur and fringes.
Designer Sanyukta Shrestha say there will be plenty of "complex yet spontaneous patterns, and unconventional colour pairings" that will be sure to catch our eye.
Expect a variety of textures, prints, and shapes that evoke the creativity and playfulness that London Fashion Week is known for.
Abstract and surrealist-inspired prints, geometric shapes, and hand-drawn illustrations will dominate. Designers are drawing inspiration from both modern art and classic motifs, blending these into garments that are visually captivating.
3. The accessory is the outfit
Not only is an outfit never complete without with the right shoes, jewellery and bag, but sometimes the accessory IS the outfit.
When it comes to bags, we've often been made to choose between something practical and reliable or uber-fashionable and practically unusable (think Lizzo's white Valentino microbag to the American Music Awards).
But it seems this year we are in luck as fashion finally meets practicality with a range of big and slouchy bags debuting on the New York runways, with Coach leading the trend as their shoulder bags became the star of the show.
Of course, there's always room for a bit of playful creativity when it comes to accessories and designer Nikolas Bentel is no stranger to that.
He is the mastermind of the internet-breaking Pasta Bag and has now created The Croissant Handbag in partnership with Lidl.
He says we'll see a "leaning into narrative fashion accessories" that tell some sort of story.
"Narrative objects and accessories allow for a deeper connection with the wearer, as they can convey personal stories, cultural heritage, or conceptual ideas," he says.
The more is more philosophy is likely to also be embraced on the runway when it comes to jewellery.
Ben Roberts, who manages jewellery brand Clogau, says this fashion week is all about "self-expression" and "making bold statements".
He says we will see brightly coloured gemstones like rubies, emeralds, and sapphires take the spotlight and "a lot of asymmetrical designs and chunky, unconventional shapes".
4. Nostalgic wave
Fashion from bygone decades is always an inspiration to designers and this year's fashion week is no exception as we're likely to be taken on a nostalgic rollercoaster over the next few days.
Zandra Rhodes tells the BBC that she's channelling "the 70s hedonism that people are nostalgic for right now".
Think Boho chic with "printed chiffon, large statement prints and floaty shapes".
Ukrainian designer Andreas Moskin's collection was also inspired by the Boho aesthetic.
"It's a reflection of our Ukranian society that addresses the themes of nostaligia for the lost and underappreciated," he says.
Other designers are also channelling nostalgia with shoe designers Malone Souliers going big on the T-bar shoe.
"It's so nostalgic - many of us would have had them in leather as school shoes or jelly versions to go to the beach," say co-creative directors Coco Fong and Valerio Bava.
Fashion isn't always known for its practicality but Fong and Bava say that's changing and now there is a "real demand for classic, reliable, and comfortable shoes, and the T-bar shoe is exactly that".
5. Re-purposed clothes
Sustainability is a trend and topic you'll have heard mentioned at many fashion weeks, but this year re-purposed garments really take centre stage.
Once again, Oxfam will be opening London Fashion Week with its runway show, Style for Change, which will showcase a collection made from pre-loved fabrics, recycled materials, and zero-waste designs.
For the first time, eBay will be running a live, shoppable runway show - Endless Runway - which will include pre-loved looks from designers like Khaite, Off-White, Christopher Kane and Simone Rocha.
eBay’s pre-loved style director, Amy Bannerman says the collection will "blend vintage treasures with cutting-edge styles".
Sustainability will play a part for many designers this year, but one particular designer to watch for is Lucy Tammam, who is using her show to call for stronger legislation to protect the planet.
Collaborating with Stop Ecocide International, Tammam has created a one-of-a-kind dress - One Dress: PLANET which features a series of hand embroidered motifs of endangered flower and plant species.
Tammam says we can expect to see more "archive fashion, upcycled clothing, bespoke pieces using surplus fabrics, and rental pieces".
