Dispatch From London Fashion Week FW 23'

It seems like NYFW was just yesterday, and yet here we are at the end of London Fashion Week. Taking place from the 17 through the 21st, it really flew by! The excitement about London Fashion Week is the essence of free thought and limitless expression. Of the four major cities, it’s [London] known for its eccentric/artistic edge and moody ethos. And this week was a prime example of that. From Chet Lo’s exploration of the brand’s infamous popcorn technique and Richard Quinn’s kink fantasy garden to JW Anderson’s homage to subversive dance culture and Daniel Lee’s debut at Burberry — a lot happened in the span of those six days. 

Alongside New York, LFW is also known for the diversity on the runways and in the workrooms, with a significant concentration of visible Black designers. This season Black brands like Feben and Ahluwalia delivered highly anticipated shows, and Mowaola challenged the viewers’ relationship to form and silhouette (see; that drop denim skirt that redefined sagging).

See a bit of the phenomenal Black design talent at London Fashion Week ahead.

Ahluwalia

Models made their final walk to the sound of Sade accompanied by a saxophone. For Fall/Winter 23′, designer Priya Ahluwalia presented a collection dedicated to the musical influences of her adolescence with motifs of soundwaves. Titled “Symphony,” the collection was a strong offering from the brand, a complete wardrobe.

Mowalola

For the designer’s return to LFW, she delivered a collection full of familiar celeb faces (Rico Naasty, Yves Tumor, and Aliyah Bah), fresh takes on the y2k aesthetic, dropped waist? (thigh?) skirts, cowhide prints, new takes on denim, oversized bags, and her Timberland collab.

Feben

Titled “Scales,” Feben presented a vibrant collection of dresses, eveningwear, coats, and tailoring inspired by tarot. Sleek black dresses in the brand’s signature bobbling technique glided down the runway alongside more punchy, colorful collage-work printed dresses.

LABRUM London

The collection titled “From Greener Pastures” was an homage to Black migrants and their connection to the continent. Taking place in Brixton, at Brixton Village, it was a fully realized show from location to the decals/patches adorning garments reading “made by an immigrant.”