The London Fashion Week Spring Summer 2022 featured approximately 130 exhibitors. Most designers displayed menswear alongside womenswear in addition to gender-neutral collections. With fearless fashion, room-filling silhouettes, and vibrant colors, the five-day event embodied maximalism invading the capital of the U.K.

In light of COVID-19 and social-distancing restrictions, the previous two global Fashion Weeks took form almost entirely on advanced digital platforms. However, the September 2021 edition offered a hybrid schedule of catwalks, presentations, parties, and appointments, regaining some of its former physical glory.

A REVIEW OF 20 DESIGNERS FROM LONDON FASHION WEEK WHO MADE THIS LIST.

LOVERBOY BY CHARLES JEFFREY

London-based Scottish designer, Charles Jeffrey, is notorious for his flamboyant and extravagant designs. After two seasons, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy displayed his two-part spring event at East London nightclub Electrowerkz, which went beyond a celebration of club culture. For nearly 75 minutes, the designer held the fashion pack hostage, with a surprise appearance by London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his family. His collection, Portal, depicts the ceremonial opening of a portal. Coincidentally, even the runway fell on a full moon during the pagan festival of Mabon. As the crowd crammed into the dimly lit club, shamans in hand-painted sculptural costumes chanted their prayers while red laser beams outlined a runway. Then followed was a spooky performance by three dancers who ushered in a blaze of models stomping to heavy electronic beats. The clothing line had three distinct sections that immediately identified it as Loverboy.

First, a gothic tribute to teen angst via ruffle-collared coats and black lace tights. Then followed the color block moments with an iridescent update of the Loverboy tartan and a Lou Reed-inspired two-piece suit crafted from apple leather. Lastly, a chaotic, psychedelic section appeared with bare and disheveled pieces that seemed appropriate to Burning Man. The cast represented a diverse mixture of brilliant queer, trans and non-binary characters, most of whom are friends with Jeffrey.

HALPERN IN LONDON FASHION WEEK

Michael Halpern provided a stunning live digital performance recorded at the Royal Opera House. His collection video, Return to Movement, was a tribute to the frontline workers of the pandemic. It featured members of the Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet groups. The performance highlighted the extraordinary discipline and resiliency of the dancers during the lockdown and their excitement about returning to the stage. Many of his past collections have explored movement. And this season his clothes danced between the poles of fluidity and restriction, with dresses made entirely of fringe, draped silks, and orb structures that stood alone as works of art.

The craftsmanship was superb as always, exploring the technical aspects of movement brought to life through dance, where the tailoring functioned as individual entities. Halpern presentations always have a theatrical glamour, and Spring 2022 refused to disappoint. He displayed several designs featuring his signature sequin dresses with bright colors and feathers incorporated throughout the pieces.

ERDEM IN LONDON FASHION WEEK

Amid the pandemic, Erdem Moralioglu moved into a new apartment in Bloomsbury, London, reinforcing his sense of dark romanticism for his 15th-anniversary collection. He envisioned his spring designs through the wardrobes of historic residents of Bloomsbury, Edith Sitwell, and Ottoline Morrell, whose spirits he might have encountered during his escapades through Bedford Square. Sitwell and Morell were known for dressing outside their time, often wearing Period Dresses. The same holds for the models of Moralioglu, who leaned toward poet sleeves, mock necklines, Victorian details, toiles, and laces over anything overtly modern. On the colonnade of the British Museum in Bloomsbury, his first runway show since the pandemic captured the dichotomy in a purified and clarified ode to his own body of work. Before the show, Moralioglu played a recording of Sitwell reciting the 1953 poem, Astronomers and Gardeners.

Throughout the history of Erdem, the designer has explored the archives of fashion, weaving fantastical stories around characters and events and presenting them in contemporary contexts. Spring 2022 was no different. Mid-show, between the colonnade columns of the British Museum, a rainbow spanned the Bloomsbury sky. It was a fitting tribute to the most realistic dreamer himself. The columned halls of the museum offered the perfect setting for the simple elegance of Erdem. It was styled with boyish brogues, natural makeup, and periodically Baroque pearls and ladylike chapeaux.

JW ANDERSON

In place of fashion shows, Jonathan Anderson collaborated with photographer Juergen Teller to produce a digital presentation. It included printed matter, posters, and portraits of contemporary artists. For the Spring 2022 lookbook, the photographer persuaded the designer to capture Teller in all his near-naked glory with tires. Also, Anderson considered the work of Teller relevant to the current zeitgeist. It required no retouching or filtering to expose the truth, proclaiming, I am who I am. Having noticed that people were coming out of the pandemic feeling more comfortable and confident in themselves, he included body positivity as one of the inspirations for the collection.

Anderson demonstrated his whimsical approach to fashion with bubbly knitted skirts, semi-transparent circular-embroidered dresses, and a tan leather shift with buckled straps. Details like strands of upcycled plastic woven into shoulder-strap fringes and mesh mini-dresses exhibited his signature craftiness. “I did not want to come through this pandemic being the same JW Anderson as before,” the designer wrote on his Instagram during the show. The dawn of a new era at his namesake house is only the beginning.

ANNA MASON IN LONDON FASHION WEEK

Before launching her label in 2012, Anna Mason worked for Karl Lagerfeld in Paris, MaxMara and Valentino in Italy, and Amanda Wakeley in London. Her clothing designs are feminine, wearable, and timeless, the polar opposite of fast fashion. While numerous styles and fabrics appear each season, some themes persist, such as in the Classics range. It was the first time Anna Mason presented on schedule at London Fashion Week. The concept was a Garden of Freedom inspired by Giverny and painted by Claude Monet. The designs featured flowing sleeves encircling the hands, and silhouettes emerged from Smocks in pretty floral and paisley prints, Broderie Anglaise, lace, and ribbon.

The creations of Anna Mason are comparable to lace-trimmed labels like Zimmermann and Self-Portrait. Yet, the primary difference is that Mason makes her products to order, which ensures less waste and more customization options than ready-to-wear. Whenever possible, she used locally sourced fabrics and tie-dyed the textiles for her collection. Mason also included a few BBDs (big black dresses) because she believes Bridgerton Goth is a good investment for 2022.

PRONOUNCE IN LONDON FASHION WEEK

Founded by Yushan Li and Jun Zhou, Pronounce is one of the few Chinese labels to exhibit at London Fashion Week post-pandemic. The brand presented its spring line, Embryo, in the tranquil garden of Salters Hall in the City of London. As part of the Porcelain Fragments concept commencing in the Fall Winter of 2021, the duo based the collection on the idea of a circle, and all the looks featured circles in creative ways. There were circle-cut blazers, parkas, dresses, and skirts. Then the round woven handbags; a knitted top with tassels sticking out of slit holes; and a cinched Mao suit with metal butterfly knots. The styles included sleek tailoring for work, statement pieces for a fashion moment, and fun weekend party wear. Their collection draws inspiration from the ceramic capital of China, Jingdezhen.

Circles typically represent a small hole drilled in a piece of Chinese art during restoration and the beginning of the kneading process. Circulation, infinity, integration, and longing are also attributes associated with the circle, including equality, wholeness, acceptance, and exploration. All things in nature revolve around a circular shape. In emptiness and eternity, it derives internal and external dimensions. It is both expansion and compression. The duo thought this was a subject that people in both the East and the West could understand and appreciate.

PREEN

Since Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi launched Preen, the line has become known for its dedication to contemporary romanticism. That implies plenty of ruffled floral dresses, voluminous sleeves, and ladylike silhouettes. For spring 2022, the brand opted for a digital presentation that featured hyperreal collages. It included spaceships, the static fuzz of an old TV, and a cavernous desert landscape. The designer duo delivered a kaleidoscopic approach to color. There were ditsy floral-printed dresses detailed with sculptural asymmetrical hemlines, toile print blouses with ruffled cups, leather frill skirts with wayward cuts, and off-the-shoulder dresses in bold shades of cobalt blue with unexpected ruching.

Preen wanted to make one thing clear; there is power in layering. One stunning piece was a pink moiré silk dress paired with a ruffled bra and a peek-a-boo vegan leather frilled skirt. Come spring, emulate the styling and pair blossoming dresses with checkered turtlenecks, tactical utilitarian corsets over puffed dresses, and boldly oversized patchwork jackets with skirts so that the hemline barely shows. Opposites attract!!

DAVID KOMA

Inspired by Annette Kellerman, the first woman to wear a one-piece swimsuit instead of then-expected pantaloons, the spring line by David Koma demonstrates the versatility of swimwear. With both sporty and luxurious moods, David wanted the vibe of a fusion of swimwear with Old Hollywood glamor. Models shimmered as they sashayed down the swimming pool–length runway in micro-sequin shirts, pants, and bralette combos in fuchsia. His show started with traditional one-piece swimsuits that evolved into signature partywear, ultimately moving to a fluorescent cha-cha. There was also an aqua miniskirt with a bejeweled trim paired with a midriff-baring, strappy marabou top of the same shade. For the finale, an elegant, strapless black evening floor-length gown. From one-legged leotards that hint toward wetsuits to transparent sequins that create the illusion of garments submerged in water, every piece gives the impression of being made for the aquatics.

OSMAN YOUSEFZADA

Consider the spring collection by Osman Yousefzada entitled What Happened to the Clothes of Last Season?

That was mostly the point, as there was no single unifying color or pattern in the designs. As he returned to display his spring line on the runway, he emphasized environmental responsibility and took a stand against the ethos of disposability implicit in fashion seasons. A silk-like material, Tencel Luxe, made from sustainably sourced wood pulp, was used in 15 different designs. The collection included a black catsuit paired with a balloon-sleeved cobalt opera coat and a baby blue gown with bishop sleeves. Others come from artisanal fabrics made on handlooms in India and Pakistan or from the Last Yards stockpile of Osman that he has been assembling while traveling over the years.

HARRIS REED

On the last day of London Fashion Week, the 25-year-old designer Haris Reed debuted his first-ever runway show. In the collection titled Found, the all-black and white 10-look show featured garments purchased by Reed from the British thrift store chain Oxfam. But the results were no less stunning. Having dressed Harry Styles while still a student at Central Saint Martins, the British-American designer has established his nonbinary approach to style on the global stage.

For spring 2022, Reed reimagined wedding day standards, bricolage bridal lace, and deconstructing morning suits. There was a wonderful sense of fluidity and romance to the proceedings, which challenged the tamed notion of Mr and Mrs attire. Wedding day staples such as dresses, veils, and morning suits were repurposed, with the seams of the garments unpicked and reconstructed into his signature dramatic full-skirted looks and flared tailoring. A cropped tuxedo jacket spliced together with a cascading waterfall veil, worn with the miles-long flares and platform boots the designer himself favors, was a highlight of his runway looks.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

When it comes to Vivienne Westwood, everything old is anew, from themes to materials. Save Our Souls, the 2022 Spring-Summer line, reinterprets her all-time favorites, Tied To The Mast, the design collection from spring 1998. It was a swashbuckling pirate-and-sailor fantasy inspired by 19th-century British couturier John Redfern. However, the lookbook for this spring was cheekier and lighter. Lily McMenamy danced around marine debris and another model wore a shirtless sailboat over his head. Renowned for creating with a cause in mind, whether animal rights or political views, Westwood was born into the punk movement.

Upcycling and sustainability were key themes for her spring designs. It was not surprising since she has promoted environmental issues for years. Throughout the main and pre-collection, 98% of all materials used were low-impact and cruelty-free. They were made of organic cotton, recycled cotton, organic silk, recycled polyester, responsibly sourced viscose, and mulesing-free wool. Besides finding fresh takes on the historical designs, Westwood ensured they would not feel dated. The knot motif of the sailor from 1998 was found laser-printed onto denim and woven through adjustable tops constructed via zero-waste pattern cutting and crisp sweater vests. The corsets were embedded into figure-hugging dresses with perfectly placed cut-outs at the bust for an extra dash of sexiness. Though the clothes appear more commercial, they still have a newfound youthful charm.

NENSI DOJAKA

LFW Spring Summer 2022 marked the debut solo runway show for Nensi Dojaka, the London-based Albanian designer, even when she had already won the LVMH Prize and dressed celebrities such as Rihanna and Bella Hadid. Dojaka was one of the hot tickets at London Fashion Week. A symbol of modern femininity has moved on to include high-waisted tailored trousers and blazers worn with a chiffon and shoestring bra top and swimwear. The color palette, inspired by the artworks of Francis Bacon, went from black through brown to pale pink with red accents.

The sensual lineup of lingerie-inspired pieces spliced together from an assortment of silk, tulle, and semi-sheer georgette fabrics made for beautiful layering. The slicked-back top knots worn by each model and the minimalist yet chic approach to going-out clothes had Helmut Lang-era references written all over them. Yet in a way that felt relevant to the Hot Girl trend of the moment. One dress, in particular, was collaged together from nine different fabrics to offer a rich sense of transparency. Other standouts included laser-cut Denier tights and ombré swimwear that could double as a bodysuit, overing wearable versatility, ready for the post-pandemic party scene.

TOGA

Toga designer Yasuko Furuta often thinks in shades of contrast, black and white, hard and soft, formal and informal. In her digital presentation for Spring 2022, Furuta referenced the historical Toga garment done in modern terms. The show notes read City, Containment, Exposure. There were flow-y printed shirt dresses with bubble hems and cape-like swathes of fabric that expanded in the breeze. On the other hand, the collection also provided utilitarian leather jackets, suits, and trousers. It featured all the right angles and offered a bit of pragmatism and sophistication. Gender-fluid staples sported unexpected details, including metallic appliqué sweaters and roughed-up tulle coats. The last look, a pair of graffiti jeans with a fluffy floor-length bodice cut down the center, proved the concept of a study of contrasts.

EDELINE LEE

Inspired by the re-emergence into society, Edeline Lee wanted to speak to the repressed desire of people to dress up and see the world. The designer felt hesitant to order new fabric due to the uncertainty of the lockdown. Therefore, Edeline used leftover fabrics in her studio to create a range of 32 beautiful samples in a wide range of 53 colors, like the colors of the rainbow. The spring line included new takes on her designs favored by many high-profile clients, such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Solange Knowles, Olivia Colman, Alicia Vikander, and others.

The whimsical bows and ribbons she used throughout her signature silhouettes added a playful touch to the prominent use of color-blocking and peekaboo details. The designs of Edeline emphasize precision cut and hand-made finishes and can be customized to fit a wide range of body types. Her exclusive fabrics are wrinkle-resistant to ensure you can travel in style.

REJINA PYO

Rejina Pyo made a splash in literal terms, choosing the London Aquatics Centre as her venue for the runway show. The event started with Olympic GB Team divers Emily Martin, Josie Zilling, and Robyn Birch plunging from the great heights of the fixed boards in bold swimsuits. The designs of Rejina Pyo exude an aesthetic that gives the impression of someone wearing an old, dusty piece of vintage.

Like always, the shapes and shades had a 1970s flair for her spring line with the disco style. The preshow featured chlorinated ripples, and the runway included swimsuits and other poolside-friendly accessories. The collection oozed effortlessness, with photo-collage prints created from photographs Pyo captured on previous travels to New York and Seoul. Relaxed short suits, wrap skirts, elegant tailoring, and delicately draped dresses and shirts in sheer Fuschia and orange silk chiffon sat with clingy styles in an acid green lace. Despite the rule that trends recur every two decades, its mix of languid and sexy makes sense to crave. It is only natural for people to want to go out again. But that does not mean they should give up the comfort they have collectively grown to rely upon!!

KNWLS

Charlotte Knowles courts a specific type of swooner for her clothes. And it is easy to nudge the snatch-and-grab corsetry of the designer into just one sexy, young, body-con lane. Even though there are many more reasons to fast-track this label to the must-watch list, this season provided more than the signature second-skin construction of Knowles’s bodices. The it-girl-approved body-hugging silhouettes of KNWLS gave a rock n roll attitude, with leather, front-laced tops, and their signature corsetry. Low-rise trousers, printed mesh layers, and bandana-style headscarves characterized the collection, inspired by the early noughties.

The runway show also featured fringed pieces adorned with long strings of stones and crystals, adding to a bohemian vibe. The boot-cut jeans stole the spotlight because this collection was titled Adrenaline, which is no greater satisfaction than bringing back a college staple, except maybe wearing a corset and knowing you own the room, showcasing the next big trend in London.

EMILIA WICKSTEAD IN LONDON FASHION WEEK

One can always count on Emilia Wickstead for a particular sort of charming romanticism. For Spring 2022, she delivered yet again, but with a twist. The digital lookbook featured white garden dresses decorated with blue and red blooming hearts and flying swallow prints. There were also sculptural dresses and jumpsuits in watermelon pink and grassy green. The designer used near-neon shades of orange and chartreuse in flattering A-line dresses and striking crop top and skirt combinations distinctively unique to her.

Emilia Wickstead was inspired by the film Last Year at Marienbad, with its themes of seduction, mystery, and a romance that may or may not have happened. The hyper-hues of 1960s technicolor films, blood orange, tangerine, and apple green, formed the basis of the spring color palette, mixed with a reoccurring rose print. The waist became an erogenous zone. There were exposed midriffs with low-slung pencil skirts or waistbands extended from bust to hip on dresses, creating an elegant soft corsetry effect.

SIMONE ROCHA

The ancient church of St Bartholomew was a perfect setting for the runway show of Simone Rocha. The clothes were beautifully reminiscent of communion dresses adorned with satin ties and intricate embroidery. Rocha, who has recently given birth to her second child, included a nod to christening gowns and nursing bras encrusted with jewels, name-checking lack of sleep, mothering, daughters, and sleepwalking in her show transcript. Despite the reference to somnambulism, Rocha had not scheduled her Spring collection.

In her signature puff skirted silhouettes and stylish coord sets with exaggerated collars, the clothing was a mix of lovely English nursery fabrics like cotton poplin, tactile layers of tulle, Broderie Anglaise, pearl details, and what she called Bedding Brocade. The antique quilt-like coat and knitted christening shawl made an impression. A lovely floral robe dress with dramatic lantern sleeves looked like just the kind of thing a tired new mom did. Or to be honest, anyone these days, would love to throw on for a quick fashion pick-me-up.

MATTY BOVAN IN LONDON FASHION WEEK

The Spring line of Matty Bovan vibrates in manically colorful glamour. It was created entirely at home. His ingeniously collaged giant crocheted blanket patches, extravagantly pouffed upcycled-fabric ball gowns, and madly unconventional forms of knitting manifestly call to the new youth’s wish for ultra-extreme party dressing. His latest collection, Hypercraft, began with a cache of family photos dating back to the 1970s. These led to granny knitting and retro wallpaper patterns culled from Sanderson upholstery fabrics, David Hicks designs, and carpets reminiscent of The Shining. As part of London Fashion Week’s hybrid physical and digital schedule, Bovan created his world via a lookbook and a film.

The video, directed by Ruth Hogben, was a surrealist mash-up of clothes set against blown-up ’70s dollhouse interiors, with cuckoo clocks chiming and grandfather clocks pealing. Bovan was quite happy with his experiments in film, a necessity that he turned into a creative experience during the lockdown. That is him all over, always finding ways to make the best of things. However, fashionistas are still waiting for the day when he brings all that excitement back to a full-on fashion performance.

RICHARD QUINN IN LONDON FASHION WEEK

Richard Quinn put on a spectacular show to cap off London Fashion Week’s return to a physical, in-person experience at the Londoner, a new hotel in Leicester Square. The runway concept was to show how beauty and tension can work together after a time when everyone was locked up. Richard Quinn knows color and print, so he decided not to experiment too much this spring. In fact, he played it a bit safe. Unlike his fall collection, which featured face-obscuring bodysuits and printed bows that would make it impossible to pass through standard-width doors, spring’s punch was slightly more wearable in real life. The colors were still vibrant, and the prints were upholstery-worthy.