What to Look Forward to at London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week has felt rather sleepy the last few years. Which is a shame, because they’ve got some incredible talent and some really interesting brands. True, the clothes in London often feel more like personal art school projects than commercially viable fashion propositions, but that’s sort of the fun. Where else are the runways this experimental? This purely expressionistic? And there are still quite a few brands that manage to blend the city’s penchant for the experimental with the needs of actual consumers. Sometimes you have to dig a little to find them, but that’s part of the fun. So, with that in mind, here are the collections we are most looking forward to as well as the full calendar so you can be sure not to miss any of the action.

Day 1: Thursday, February 19
16 Arlington and Stephen Jones Millinery are bound to deliver plenty of drama, even in the relatively subdued presentation format they have opted for this season as opposed to a traditional catwalk. And speaking of drama, no one in London delivers more of it than Harris Reed. Last season’s collection inspired by birds flashing their bright plumage to attract willing mates was an absolute jaw-dropper. And, of course, the MFA fashion design graduates of Central Saint Martins — the most well known and prestigious fashion school in the UK (if not the world) will take to the runway as well, which is always a gas.

Day 2: Friday, February 20
Mario Arena will make his debut for the famously minimalist brand Joseph. We’re also looking forward to seeing what Mithridate comes up with this time around. The brand’s playful explorations of prep are always both intriguing and incredibly wearable.

Day 3: Saturday, February 21
Photographer-turned-designer Ronan Mckenzie will bring his nascent brand Selasi to the runway for the first time, while Chopova Lowena is opting for a presentation in lieu of a tradsitional runway show — still, they keep getting better and better so we can’t wait to see what they come up with. We are perhaps most excited, however about the return of Julien MacDonald to the London runway. MacDonald’s collections are always super glamorous. They can also be extremely tacky, which is definitely part of the fun. He’s kitsch and proud and we can’t wait to see what he’s come up with.

Day 4: Sunday, February 22
Erdem, Emilia Wickstead, Simone Rocha, and Richard Quinn! Day four is stacked!

Day 5: Monday, February 23
Alessandra Rich — a favorite of the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton — will be debuting their latest collection via lookbook and in-person appointments starting first thing in the morning, while Burberry will close out the day with what is bound to be the most highly produced show of the season. We’re also very excited about Raw Mango‘s debut. The brand’s textiles and saris are beyond gorgeous and we can’t wait to see what they bring to the London catwalk.

Check out the full Spring 20026 London Fashion Week calendar here: London Fashion Week Calendar PDF.

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