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London Fashion Week is about more than just clothing. It's about the experiences that brands foster, the impressions you have of television programmes that stay with your brand for future inspiration, the times you spend with friends, and the artistic visions that eventually become the driving forces behind fashion trends in the more approachable spheres of the industry. This leads to a number of breathtaking moments; sometimes the spaces themselves are enough to evoke feelings, and other times it's the music that transports you to a rave or makes you yearn for your younger years. Similarly, lighting, set design, and everything in between are used to further evoke the attitude of the designer for that collection in other places where scents permeate the dramatic spaces.
The designers appeared more devoted than ever to this cause at LFW SS23. More events were held outside of typical locations (like the Old Selfridges Hotel), and many chose outlandish settings like a casino arcade, abandoned hotel mansions, sports facilities, third-floor parking basements, community gardens, grand landmarks, and fashion's preferred setting, the abandoned warehouse aesthetic.
JW Anderson's Arcade Theme
Jonathan Anderson staged a casino crusade by holding his show inside the Las Vegas Arcade in London's Soho for one of the season's most intimate runways. Slot machines and other high-stakes games mimicked the bright neon lights that line the streets outside by shining their alluring glimmer onto the makeshift catwalk. In turn, this got us ready for one of the season's standout shows. It wasn't just computers decorating the halls; instead, clothes were adorned with Getty stock images, noughties keyboard keys, and selfie-inspiring mirror ball orb dresses. As a result, the room was buzzing with energy before we even saw the clothes.
Simone Rocha Breaking Into Menswear
Simone Rocha's entry into the menswear market was nothing short of a spectacle, and it was met with the biggest round of applause and the loudest cheers of the entire week. She not only produced a wide range of introspective designs, but also succeeded in incorporating her aesthetic into a line of men's clothing that added a softer side to the male wardrobe while maintaining traditional identities. Along with the frills, folds, and ruffles, the collection included bibs and jackets that billowed and buckled across the body, aviation-inspired looks supported by ruching, and a line of shoes that, due to the collection's dominance, has largely gone unnoticed.
Chopova Lowena’s Punk Theme
On the other hand, Chopova Lowena's first live runway show fueled the chaos of punk. The crowd could not stop grinning throughout this cathartic presentation of teenage angst and stroppy Y2K no-nonsense collection, proving that it was the right strategy for the budding brand. Hypebeast has frequently covered the clothes, but as the Chopova Lowena runway demonstrated, the atmosphere extends beyond just appearances. Instead, a show can be used to evoke emotions, set a mood, and make social commentary, especially in light of recent events that have made many of us want to scream with a creative outburst.
