London Fashion Week: five days full of the newest collections by the biggest brands and the most exciting up-and-coming designers. It’s usually an exclusively (and exclusive) in-person event, but as a result of the pandemic, some shows are being streamed online – free and open-access. This is your chance to attend one of the biggest events in the global fashion calendar. Here are some designers to look out for.

Simone Rocha

I discovered Simone Rocha’s label through her collaboration with H&M in 2021. It featured lots of pink, pearls and puffy sleeves: young, fun, and very Instagrammable. Simone Rocha made her fashion debut at London Fashion Week in 2010 through the Fashion East initiative and has since risen to stardom. Recently, her work featured on the cover of Vogue Polska (February 2022).

I was enchanted by her SS22 show. The dresses were ethereally beautiful – more white tulle, puffs, and pearls. The addition of combat boots gave a hint of her “tomboy-feminine” style – a key element of her approach, according to the the Business of Fashion 500 Index, which features Simone Rocha in its catalogue of the 500 most influential designers in the industry. For me, the star piece of the collection is a handbag in the shape of a pearl. Gleaming, cream-swirling, larger-than-life, it’s like an ivory Fabergé egg.

I’m excited to see what she does with her LFW collection. It airs at 6pm on Sunday 20th February. Watch it here.

Banshee of Savile Row

Banshee of Savile Row is an up-and-coming label offering bespoke tailoring for women. Female empowerment is their aim: creating beautiful pieces in traditional cuts, modernised with interesting colours and luxurious fabrics. Co-founder Ruby Slevin describes their pieces as “tailored talismans for women” which “hint at the sacred, the magical and the ageless.”

I really liked their LFW June 2021 collection. I might have sworn that I’d seen some of the outfits around Sidgwick: a long, neutral-toned houndstooth coat, brightened with a green hair scarf and gold earrings; a red corduroy suit, paired with a casual t-shirt; a silk sequinned shirt peeking out underneath a suit in black velvet.

Fancy finding some new inspiration for your Cambridge wardrobe? Watch the show here at 2:45pm on Saturday 19th February.

Pronounce

Pronounce is a brand of synthesis. It fuses Eastern and Western aesthetics, streetwear and formal tailoring, and vintage and futuristic looks. Although formally a menswear designer, Pronounce transcends gender, combining traditionally masculine and feminine styles in an approach they have termed ‘Gender Sharing’.

Their SS22 collection, ‘○’, was based on the concept of circles. Circles are incorporated into the fabric of the clothes themselves, making for quite striking outfits. I liked this black-and-white look, particularly the furry shoes.

Here is another look, from the SS21 collection ‘Oil/Water’. The shirt collar is very clearly 70s inspired, and the sunglasses look like they could be from the 90s, but the shoes belong to some future age.

Want to see what they’ll put on the runway at LFW? Find out here at 3:15pm on Monday 21st February.

PAUL&JOE

Paul&Joe is a cult Parisian brand, featuring vintage-inspired styles in playful colours. They aim to combat fast fashion by producing timeless, high-quality pieces and by basing their manufacturing in France.

Their collections embody quirk and flair. The AW21 line-up was more toned down in colour than previous collections, and so was perhaps more wearable day-to-day than their usual array of bright colours and loud prints.

I wonder if the LFW collection will see a resurgence in vibrance or if they’ll stick to a more muted colour palette. Find out here at 4pm on Monday 21st February.

The one that got away: 16Arlington

A designer I wish had a digital show? 16Arlington.

Rita Ora wore a 16Arlington gown to the 2019 British Fashion Awards. The print is extraordinary. Exciting, on-trend, and just a little bit eccentric, this 16Arlington dress is the perfect statement piece.

The brand self-describes as “maximalist” and “[negotiating] the boundaries of trash.” British Vogue was right to call their clothes “conversation-starting party pieces.”

Their recent collections are a whirlwind of bright colours, feathers, and sequins. I particularly liked this look from the AW21 collection.

I’m looking forward to seeing the looks from their LFW catwalk!

Digital London Fashion Week: an opportunity to bring the most exciting event of the London fashion year to your room in Cambridge. Banish your Week 5 blues with some cool new clothes. Don’t miss out!

LFW runs 18th - 22nd February. Find the full list of online shows on LFW’s digital platform here.