When it comes to fashion weeks, London’s is often a bit calmer than New York’s, less sultry than Milan, and more inclusive than Paris. There’s still the synonymous elegance that comes from the fashion weeks, but there is certainly more of a punkish feel. This was all the more true when it came to this February as designers paid tribute to the late Dame Vivienne Westwood. Along with these tributes, came the excitement as Daniel Lee presented his vision for Burberry’s future. So, while social media might not have revved up for the intense excitement of London fashion week — the industry itself certainly did.  

Demure London also presented some of the trends most likely to be the largest come fall and winter, so perhaps paying attention to this capital in September might be a good idea. After all, you never know where you’ll find the next fashion inspiration, and if London is any indication, it seems that we’re about to embark on a very interesting fashion journey. Other than the simple dresses that were seen on the runways, nothing else from this fashion week seemed to be particularly simple. 

Simplistic and satin 

Every now and then fashion does veer towards simplicity, and in London, during fashion week this was a trend that was particularly shown in dresses. From simple sheaths to asymmetric silhouettes Christopher Kane and David Koma both produced some beautiful gowns. David Koma, in particular, went to fully embrace color and presented stunning mini dresses and sequined gowns with a deep red backdrop showing off the craftsmanship of the designs. 

Bananas for patterns and prints 

Christopher Kane brought in crazy patterns first with the repeated motif of baby chicks. This poultry-print inspiration was carried over to Burberry where Daniel Lee used cloth that contained a repeated duck print. The seeming pattern of poultry prints ended when we headed to JW Anderson. There the prints went bananas–and no, I’m not saying that there was a fruit spread pattern but rather the Tesco logo was prominent throughout the collection. Stunning, and thought-provoking, but a bit crazy. Then again, that sentence could sum up fashion week. 

Dreaming of romance

Eretheral fashion is trendy once again. From Susan Fang to Bora Asku, architectural and free-floating dresses found a home among this season’s trends. Susan Fang, always well known for this sense of style invoked the dreamlike sense far more on her runways with models floating along a bed of rose petals and Fang’s perfume being released over the runway and crowd. Bora Asku wove a bit more of a whimsical take on the look and applied a twist of romance with taffeta dresses. 

Aye, aye Cap’in

Sailor-inspired fashion is often seen for the spring and summer months, but like floral details, it has found its way into the fall collections. These nautical twists were particularly popular for S.S. Daley, who fell hard for stripes. Navy-esque collars and neckties were sported at Simone Rocha — perhaps it’s time to get a winter ticket for a cruise just to sport these stunning looks? 

Keeping it professional 

Understated and tailored looks were the primary focus of many runways during London Fashion Week. TOVE, Palmer Harding, Molly Goddard, and Connor Ives brought life to structured silhouettes, office attire, and even takes on relaxed visions of uniforms (a theme that was vaguely present at Connor Ives.) So next Monday, take cues from London on dressing for work.

Back in the dark ages

Instead of the pops of pastel that were occurring throughout Copenhagen Fashion Week, London went dark. Quite literally, even Chet Lo who often embraces colors, went for far darker and muted tones. BDSM references also danced across the runways as well…often in a more appropriate way than Balenciaga. David Koma had plenty of dark latex throughout his collection. Along with these two brands, Erdem and Bora Asku also fell hard for dark colors. 

Body adornments 

Chain belts, waist beads, and other body adornments tend to be something you see more of during spring and summer, but London decided to switch things up and embrace them for fall. Designer Di Petsa, debuted at London Fashion Week this year and layered beaded shawls around the model’s arms. Along with her, David Koma accessorized with plenty of medallions, and Erdem embraced many smaller details and body adornments to charm the models and viewers. 

Circa 2007 

A bit of a micro-trend during New York Fashion Week, it seems that dresses over pants were truly resurrected in London. Most designers, such as Richard Quinn, gravitated towards paring ruffled dresses with pants. Molly Goddard, on the hand, continued her love of sheer tops and placed see-through material over pants.