London Fashion Week is one of the most anticipated fashion events of the year. London has been a cultural hub of innovative and cutting-edge fashion for decades if not centuries. The City Of London was known worldwide for its textile production since the Medieval period and was renowned during the 18th and 19th Centuries. Many historical fashion movements started in London. The West End of London gained a reputation for producing and selling high-end luxury clothing and was sought after by nobles around the world. As long as people have been wearing clothes, London has been the place to go to buy them.
However, London’s reputation as a highly significant fashion culture hub exploded during the 1960s. The 1960s was a hugely transformative time in history, and there was a cultural revolution. Women were wearing mini skirts, men were letting their hair grow long. The Mods of Carnaby Street were extremely popular. Since then, fashion subcultures and movements have flocked to London to influence fashion trends, such as the iconic punks of King’s Road during the 1970s. London has remained one of the most iconic destinations across Europe for fashion lovers.
London Fashion Week happens twice a year and is definitely one of the highlights of the fashion social calendar. The first fashion week in London took place in a car park in 1984, and ever since, has displayed some of the most innovative and cutting-edge designs. It has displayed multiple infamous designers’ debut collections, such as Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. London Fashion Week is the perfect place to spot the best summer chic looks for the upcoming season. The recent London Fashion Week (9th – 12th June 2023) displayed many innovative new trends and designs. But how will the collections displayed at London Fashion Week affect Summer Trends? What can we expect to see in the high street soon?
Gender Neutral Fashion
One thing we can take from London Fashion Week is that gender-neutral fashion isn’t going anywhere. It’s only been a couple of years since the womenswear and menswear events were brought together to be on the same week, and we can already see that this has had a massive cultural impact. The number of collections that didn’t have a defined menswear and womenswear collection was larger than anticipated. Gender-fluid and neutral styles were at the forefront of many collections at London Fashion Week, and we can be sure to see more brands adopt this. Look out for gender-neutral fashion styles in high-street stores this summer!
Womenswear
The womenswear collections had quite a few main themes dominating the major collections – neutral tones, metallic and sequin detailing, and a return to classic cuts of clothing. Many of the collections included long, streamlined clothing that clung to the body whilst concealing it at the same time. Many of the designers simply upgraded classic cuts, rather than straying too outside the boundaries of already existing fashion principles.
Read: Summer Fashion Trends You Must Try This Year
If you’re looking to see how London Fashion Week is influencing summer fashion trends, you can see it very clearly in modern trends such as mermaid-core. The metallic, streamlined cuts that can be found in mermaid-core clothing demonstrate how far these trends have reached when it comes to streetwear. In summer fashion this year, be on the lookout for classic cuts of clothing in innovative new fabrics. London Fashion Week showcases the latest fashion trends for women, from bold prints to tailored silhouettes to sustainable materials. The womenswear collections seemed to be playing with weight, including heavy and light fabrics in the same outfit to play with dimensions, so also be on the lookout for that this summer.
Menswear
The menswear collections have been just as innovative as the womenswear, if not more. One of the main trends that dominated menswear collections at London Fashion Week was the inclusion of typically ‘feminine’ fabrics in the clothes, such as linen, raw silk, and organza. This gives a lot of the clothes a structurally ‘floaty’ look, which is innovative for menswear collections which typically rely on boxy, rigid silhouettes. Men’s athleisure outfits at London Fashion Week are a mix of comfort, style, and edge. Furthermore, bright patterns and colours were featured very prominently throughout most of the collections, which are typically reserved for womenswear. Could we be seen a massive cultural shift in how men wear clothes? London Fashion Week certainly seems to think so, as shown by the bright display of their menswear collections.
While the floaty silhouettes are dominating men’s formalwear, the streetwear for men collections also seems to follow along these lines. Instead of constricting, rigid clothing, men’s streetwear is light and flowy this season, allowing men to move more freely and allow their clothes to get the most out of their movement. Although baggy clothing has been more popular in recent years anyway, shirts and trousers are getting even baggier than ever before. Furthermore, women are showing less of their body, the men are showing more. This can be seen in the multiple collections displaying see-through tops and cut-out clothes in men’s streetwear. If you want to look out for ways London Fashion Week will influence men’s streetwear this summer, look out for bright patterns and flowy, baggy clothes items infiltrating the high street.
Author’s Bio:
Zoe-Louise is a freelance author who loves to write about fashion, beauty and lifestyle. When she’s not writing about the latest women’s styles or the latest summer festival outfits, you can probably find her shopping. Connect with her on Twitter here:
