A Guide to London Fashion Week SS23

By Charlie Colville

2 years ago

Your guide to the capital's style season


The UK fashion capital is abuzz this September as it welcomes another instalment of London Fashion Week. With big name designers and newcomers alike taking to the runway, it’s one of the biggest events on the style set’s social calendar. Want to know what’s happening this season? Read our guide below for everything you need to know about London Fashion Week SS23. 

A Guide to London Fashion Week SS23

Update following the death of Her Majesty the Queen

London Fashion Week will continue to run this September, with the exception of some brands postponing or cancelling their shows in respect of the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Notable brands to pull out of the line-up include Burberry, Raf Simons and Claudie Pierlot.

When is it?

London Fashion Week will be presenting an array of designers showcasing their SS23 collections between Friday 16 September and Tuesday 20 September.

Where is it?

A combinations of runway shows, presentations and events will take place in multiple locations across the capital. Shows are typically invite-only and locations are revealed nearer the date. You’ll be able to catch the shows online on the LFW website, and will likely see very fashionable-looking guests trotting off to events around London each day.

RIXO London Fashion Week AW22

RIXO at London Fashion Week AW22 (c) RIXO

Schedule Highlights

Over 100 designers are confirmed to feature in the London Fashion Week schedule, including legacy brands like Burberry, JW Anderson and Richard Quinn. With so much amazing talent on show, it’s tricky to narrow things down when it comes to choosing shows to see and stream – so we’ve rounded up some of the physical shows we’re most excited to see below:

THURS: 15 September

The unofficial first day of Fashion Week takes place on Thursday with a small selection of shows and opening ceremonies. British designer Daniel w. Fletcher will be kicking things off with a catwalk show of mens’ and womenswear, alongside presentations and events held in separate locations by Isabel Manns and OXFAM.

BOSS will also be hosting the official London Fashion Week opening event with Clearpay that evening, bringing in the new season with a bang.

FRI: 16 September

The season comes out in full force on the Friday, with over 20 physical shows and events taking place across London. Highlights to look forward to include:

  • Upcoming accessories designer Leo Carlton will take centre stage in the NEWGEN Presentation Space from 9.30am
  • Fashion Week favourite Bora Aksu will be presenting its new collection via catwalk at 12pm
  • And glam London-based label POSTER GIRL will be showcasing its new collection at 4pm
Models in colourful clothing walking through church

Bora Aksu at London Fashion Week AW22 (c) Bora Aksu

SAT: 17 September

Another big day at LFW, 26 events and shows will be taking place on the Saturday. Some of the ones to keep an eye on include:

  • British designer Molly Goddard will be launching her SS23 catwalk show at 4pm
  • Vintage-inspired dream team RIXO will be hosting another immersive presentation from 2.30pm
  • And British label JW Anderson (of Harry Styles crochet fame) will be making its mark on the runway with an evening show at 8pm

SUN: 18 September

We have another 23 events to look forward to on Sunday, from catwalks and presentations to evening celebrations. The ones to keep on your radar include:

  • Rejina Pyo’s hotly anticipated catwalk show (TBH we’re still thinking about the SS22 takeover of the London Aquatics Centre) at 12pm
  • And fairytale-esque Irish designer Simone Rocha’s runway presentation at 4pm
Rejina Pyo

Rejina Pyo at London Fashion Week SS22 (c) Rejina Pyo

MON: 19 September

No shows will take place on Monday in honour of the late Queen’s state funeral.

TUES: 20 September

Another day, another 13 shows to sink your teeth into. Tuesday is the last day in the schedule, and we’ll start to see designers retreat from the capital once the day’s shows are finished. Highlights include:

  • An immersive SS23 presentation from royal favourite Emilia Wickstead from 10.30am
  • Susan Fang will be taking to the catwalk at 1pm
  • And Richard Quinn, the Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Winner, will be one of the last designers to show their collection at 7pm

You can check out the full schedule for London Fashion Week here.

DiscoveryLAB

An ongoing instalment at London Fashion Week, the DiscoveryLAB is described as ‘an immersive showcasing environment’ where audiences can explore new names and emergin brands within the wider creative industry. Here, you’ll find creatives breaking the boundaries between fashion, music, art, photography and performance and presenting exciting new projects.

Designers on this year’s roster include London-based brand TREDDENICK, founded by 2021 RCA graduate Jake Treddenick, Estonian-born womenswear designer Johanna Parv and kaleidoscopic German-Ukrainian designer Andrej Gronau, as well as many more. Browse the full line-up here.

Online Shows

A selection of shows continue to run online alongside or instead of in person this year, with an unveiling of new collections on the London Fashion Week website. In this case, a campaign video will take the place of a tradition runway show or physical presentation. Designers taking to the digital runway include:

  • Masha Popova – 5pm on Saturday 17 September
  • 16Arlington – 11am on Sunday 18 September
  • Yuhan Wang – 3pm on Sunday 18 September
  • APUJAN – 11am on Tuesday 20 September
  • Lupe Gajardo – 3pm on Tuesday 20 September

Featured image: Bora Aksu Aw22 LFW Presentation (c) Bora Aksu

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