The Runway Rundown: London Fashion Week Closes With A Celebration Of Culture, Community And Craft
If day one was a celebration of London’s rebellious spirit, the final day of Fashion Week was an ode to the city’s diversity. London’s character is shaped by its blend of cultures, a melting pot of ideas and inspirations that drive the constantly evolving creative scene. At a time when it feels like the UK has taken ten steps back in the wake of far-right riots across the country, a government crackdown on immigration and renewed conversations around deportation, Monday’s shows served as a positive reminder of the people who make this city unique.
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Labrum London’s tagline, ‘Designed by an Immigrant,’ resonates more than ever, 10 years after Sierra Leonean creative director Foday Dumbuya founded the brand. For spring/summer 2025, Dumbuya honoured the resilience of immigrants building new lives in the UK, including the trials and tribulations his family faced when they moved to London when he was 12 years old. At Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Dumbuya, a loyal Gooner, staged his show on the pitch, a fitting location given his recent announcement as the first independent designer to create an on-field jersey for a Premier League team.
The show featured a patchwork dress made from jerseys designed for Arsenal’s players, alongside the brand’s signature tactile tailoring in burnt orange, butter yellow, sky blue and navy. Straw headdresses swayed in the stadium breeze, and Dumbuya’s ongoing partnership with Adidas was on display, with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and rapper Ghetts among the runway models. Rarely do you walk away from a Labrum show without a smile on your face, but spring/summer 2025 was particularly moving.
Portugal-based but London-born Marques'Almeida made a joyful return to the London Fashion Week schedule last season, with a show that brought the brand’s community—its founders’ two daughters included—together on the runway and in the audience.
The latest collection featured Marques'Almeida’s signature style codes: frothy ruffles, jacquard florals, hacked-off denim and punky buckle fastenings, that, when combined, have become synonymous with the beloved label. The block colour satin dresses from last season were printed with chintzy florals and denim was corseted and embossed with intricate blooms. The sense of community still shone through as familiar faces walked the show. Few brands have such an instantly recognisable aesthetic, and even after over a decade in the game Marques'Almeida’s offering still feels fresh and exciting.
In a derelict townhouse on Cavendish Square, Chinese-born designer Huishan Zhang—renowned for blending his Eastern heritage with Western influences—presented his sleek vision for the new season. A well-known cinephile, Zhang looked to The Hand, a short film directed by Wong Kar-Wai, for inspiration. The rich colours and nocturnal settings favoured by Wong were channelled through a series of sheeny duchesse satin gowns, mesh slinky skirts and dresses, beaded fringe, sequin and signature crystal embellishments that glimmered under the show lights. It a little sexier, there was more skin on show via lattice cutouts and deep plunging necklines, even the occasional glimpse of lingerie, as Zhang continued to evolve his already very well-formed universe. It’s no wonder the designer has built a loyal following of A-list clientele, whose continued support has helped bolster the brand’s success.
Rather than existing in the confines of specific concepts, Yasuko Furuta, the creative director of Tokyo-based brand Toga, chooses a three-word dictum to define each of her collections. After a four-year hiatus from doing shows, the designer returned to the London schedule, guided by the prompt ‘Labor, Order, Humor.’ While her conceptual framework may be open to interpretation, her attention to craftsmanship remains clear. Standouts at the intimate salon-style show included empire-waisted gathered tulle skirts, metallic jacquard dresses, ballooning trench coats with handkerchief neckties and knife-sharp tailoring in vibrant patchwork prints. Furuta’s return was a reminder of her skill in creating playful yet wearable pieces and seeing her brilliantly made clothes up close and in motion was a welcome sight back on the London stage.
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