Things are feeling pretty bleak in the world rn – we don’t need to rehash it, you know what we’re talking about – meaning that when LFW officially descended upon the streets of London, the mood was anything but jubilant. Factor in a reduced schedule and UK’s signature shitty weather and it could have easily been a washout.
However, the smaller, scrappier city out of the ‘big four’ continued to punch above its weight – bringing drama, virality, and a slew of fresh designers. Attending the shows, we couldn’t help but notice just how vibrantly queer the London offering is. The city’s creative lifeblood is the trans and queer folks who push the boundaries of style in the club, at the office and on the streets, and LFW’s latest outing was all about celebrating the communities who make the city what it is.
Keep reading for some of our fave – and queerest – moments from the latest LFW season.
CONNER IVES
A New Yorker living in London, Conner Ives’ eponymous label uses vintage to create throwback designs which deconstruct Americana and pay homage to the women who made him. For AW25, he presented a bold selection of sequins, late aughts silhouettes, and animal print – perfect for cosplaying as one of the OG Real Housewives.
However, our fave moment came when he took his bow while wearing a tee emblazoned with the words “Protect the Dolls”, a statement we can all get behind. The tee will be available for pre-orders from today (26 Feb), with all proceeds going to Trans Lifeline.
GRETE HENRIETTE
We’re long-time fans of Grete Henriette, whose precious garments elegantly drape the body in precious stones and metals and have won fans in the likes of Lil Nas X, Kim Petras and Sam Smith. Her debut LFW show was staged in an East London church, with a live harp rendition by Xiaoqiao soundtracking a parade of heavenly muses including Charley Sayers and Maxim Magnus. Show closing duties were done by Drag Race UK alum Tayce, who strutted in full high priestess cosplay. In Henriette’s world, God is a woman – and a doll, at that.
FASHION EAST/ OLLY SHINDER
Fashion East darling Olly Shinder has quickly attracted attention with his combination of BDSM, kink and workwear codes, sending nipple-exposing latex tops, buttoned-up uniforms and leather chaps down the runway. Besides making us wonder if we can get away with latex at the office, the styles highlight the ways we carry our queerness into all aspects of life – and highlight the ways we are forced to downplay aspects of our identities in certain spaces. This season, Shinder was uncharacteristically subtle, but there were still nods to the kink scene with leather accents, high-shine anoraks and see-through jumpers beckoning men to start their own ‘free the nipple’ movement.
RICHARD QUINN
Is this the 2019 Met Gala? Because the AW25 Richard Quinn collection was camp. Unfolding within a The Holiday-esque (Cameron Diaz’s version) winter wonderland, models strutted through fake snow in vibrant velvet, splashy florals and grandiose wedding dresses, to the soundtrack of 80s pop. Special kudos to whoever had control of the aux for queueing The Pete Shop Boys.
SINÉAD O’DWYER
Another LFW designer who should audition to do the costuming for Kinky Boots the musical, Sinéad O’Dwyer is known for her reinterpretation of kink – from ‘shibari’ leggings, to cutouts and suspender belts. Our fingers are crossed for her to come out with a high fashion strap-on harness next season…
DI PETSA
A proponent of divine femininity, Di Petsa’s wetlook dresses and celebration of, well, female wetness has made her a London fashion darling. This season, she clearly set herself up for virality, tapping Ayra Starr for a genuinely mesmerising catwalk appearance and arranging for a model to kiss an onlooker who was sat front row. Our fave bits, however, were all about overt queerness of the show. From bicon Mia Khalifa walking in the kind of ‘plunging’ dress that could spark a thousand Daily Mail headlines to a female model’s crotch being covered in lipstick kisses (I guess she got lost via La Camionera?) there was plenty for the girls, gays and theys to enjoy.
CHET LO
Chet Lo’s iconic spiky knitwear became an instant cult classic since he first showed with Fashion East back in 2022. For his AW25 offering, the designer unveiled fun and flirty menswear – from a spiky short-sleeve top and patterned tie over a shirt, to a non-chalant scarf – that reminded us of the joy and playfulness which is so often missing in (cis, straight) male wardrobes. We also enjoyed Lo gracing the catwalk for his end-of-show applause, where he didn’t so much as bow but catapult himself into the air, peace sign at the ready.
