London Fashion Week SS27: The shows that deserve your attention
From Priya Ahluwalia’s sportswear-infused tailoring to Simone Rocha’s exploration of vulnerability and McQueen’s return to the London runway, here are all the collections that stood out at London Fashion Week SS27.
London Fashion Week has never been one to play by the rules. For Spring/Summer 2027, that spirit was on full display as designers revisited British fashion codes through distinctly contemporary lenses. Simone Rocha reimagined romanticism through vulnerability and intricate detailing. Ahluwalia explored the intersection of sport and culture, and McQueen returned to London, re-establishing its connection to its British roots. These collections were particularly noteworthy on the runway.
With established houses and emerging voices sharing the spotlight, SS27 was less about a single defining trend and more about the different ways London continues to shape fashion. These are the shows that stood out and the collections worth remembering.
Ahluwalia: Culture, community, and a spirit of celebration
Priya Ahluwalia used the concept of pleasure as a means of resistance for SS27. Titled Revel, the collection explored optimism, togetherness, and the people who make space for moments of lightness, drawing from Ahluwalia's interest in resistance movements and the power of community, with inspiration coming from the history and cultural exchange of FESTAC '77, the Pan-African festival held in Lagos in 1977. An abstract print based on aerial photographs and floor plans of the festival venue appeared across dresses, shirts, and separates.
Bold colours, flowing lines, and Ahluwalia's partnership with Puma contributed to the collection's lively vibe as it alternated between casual tailoring, athletic pieces, and occasionwear. As a consequence, the collection retained its fundamental cultural allusions while feeling festive.
Simone Rocha: Romance meets historical drama
For Spring/Summer 2027, Simone Rocha turned to art history, building the collection around the story of Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ, which was rediscovered in 1990 after hanging, misattributed, in the dining room of a Jesuit residence in Dublin for decades. The collection, presented at London’s Old Bailey, connected the drama and gloom of the painting with Rocha’s lyrical lexicon.
The collection’s feminine lines, floral motifs, and delicate embellishments were counterbalanced by sharper, more quotidian pieces, creating a contrast between romance and restraint. Rocha’s SS27 design felt dramatic, elaborate, and distinctly her own against the imposing backdrop of the historic courtroom.
Alexander McQueen: London, rave culture, and the return of the fashion house
One of the key events of SS27 was McQueen’s return to the official London Fashion Week schedule, marking Seán McGirr’s first London presentation for the house. McGirr focused on London’s contrasts for the event, fusing the excitement of the city’s rave culture with the rigour of Savile Row tailoring.
The collection, which was shown at Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, explored the conflict between the sacred and the profane. Rave-inspired pieces, satin dresses, leather harnesses, glittering ornamentation, and sculptural tailoring all combined to create designs that felt both refined and rebellious. It was a very London interpretation of the drama, darkness, and experimentation that define the McQueen codes.
Burberry: British heritage gets a playful update
Daniel Lee’s Burberry collection, which relaxed the house’s customarily refined codes, marked the end of London Fashion Week. In collaboration with British textile designer Celia Birtwell, Lee reinterpreted the iconic Burberry check with her vibrant florals and illustrated patterns, giving the collection a creative, whimsical feel. Birtwell’s motifs appeared across shirting, shorts, trenches and other pieces, while her illustrated faces were transformed into badges and beaded embellishments.
Technical pieces, denim, and loose silhouettes gave the collection a more youthful vibe, while trenches emerged with softer, puffed forms. Scuffed trainers and rumpled textiles added a lived-in feel, embracing the imperfections Lee said made the clothes feel more human. Central Cee made his runway debut for Burberry, adding yet another reference to modern London.
Collectively, these collections encapsulated the various facets of London fashion, ranging from romanticism and cultural narrative to subcultural vitality and reimagined British heritage. If SS27 had one thing in common, it was a willingness to look back while moving forward. These designers demonstrated how London’s fashion identity is continuously moulded by the people, places, and culture that characterise the city today, while remaining connected to its past.
Lead image: Getty Images
Also read: The standout collections defining New York Fashion Week SS27
