February 25, 2025 |
London Fashion Week AW25 mixed killer catwalks with next-level digital drops, as designers unveiled collections through slick films and bold lookbooks. This season proved fashion isn’t just about the runway – it’s about storytelling, spectacle and surprise. Here are the digital showcases that stole the spotlight. Emily Phillips
Chopova Lowena
Chopova Lowena’s A Tiny Flutter Made a Big Flivver is a fearless fusion of sky-high adventure and underground raving. Inspired by 1910s skydivers and WWII aviatrixes, the collection reimagines pinafores, bombers and pin curls with rebellious 1980s Acid House energy. Neon hues meet Edwardian lace, while butterfly motifs and airbrushed graphics bring aviation and rave culture together. Playful and bold, this season is about freedom – whether soaring through the sky or dancing till dawn. A high-flying, high-energy triumph. EP
MASHA POPOVA
Masha Popova’s AW25, Do Not Disturb, is for the beautifully dishevelled – the disturbed. Clothes slip off shoulders, coats cocoon like plush hotel robes, and staple denim, tells stories of stays that never quite ended. Inspired by Sophie Calle’s The Hotel, Popova revels in remnants – half-buttoned shirts, lipstick-stained fabrics, a sleeve caught mid-slide. Washed blues, and faded pastels mirror hotel interiors lived in, taken over. Captured through Sonny Round’s lens, the Masha girl doesn’t check in – she moves in, makes every space her own. A wardrobe for those who slip in, slip out, and never fully unpack. Talia Panayi
FEBEN
Feben’s Fall ‘25 is for the staunch – bold, unshakable, and literally printed in red serif across a crisp white shirt. Taking cues from the legendary Little Edie of Grey Gardens, this collection is all about making magic from what’s around you. Low-brow meets high-brow, with Feben’s signature Twist technique knotting it all together. Think slinky party dresses, cheeky slice cut-outs, and faux furs that nod to Big Edie’s makeshift glamour. Staunch isn’t just a word – it’s a mindset. Wear it, live it, own it. TP
DERRICK
Derrick steps away from the runway to explore the moments in between with Intermission, a new short film by Dylan Hayes. Shot in and around the Bethnal Green studio, it captures the Derrick client’s ever-moving world. Rainproof tailoring stuffed into a backpack and office-cut trousers keep pace across town. Alongside the film, our first campaign of a new genre, shot by Mikey Massey, highlights a wardrobe collected and worn across seasons. Derrick returns to the runway in June 2025 – until then, the moment unfolds. Alexander Bean
16Arlington
16Arlington’s AW25 collection Lights On is a dazzling tribute to 1980s excess, merging power dressing with unapologetic glamour. Sequins, lurex and puffball skirts collide in a maximalist celebration of bold fashion and bold women. Marco Capaldo rejects minimalism in favour of statement silhouettes, needle-like embellishments and feathered textures, evoking the era’s brand obsession and nightlife energy. Captured in a sultry, high-gloss photoshoot shot by Ethan James Green, the collection proves that dressing up – and standing out – will always have a place. Electric, extravagant, irresistible. EP
AARON ESH
Following his SS25 show in February, which served as a love letter to glamour found in fleeting, everyday moments, Aaron Esh timed London Fashion Week to release a capsule collection of elegant frocks. Available exclusively on the designer’s e-shop, the capsule featured Esh’s signature liquid-y, bias-cut evening dresses, which dance around the form of the wearer. He toasted to the launch with a Sunday night dinner were friends of the brand, including former 10 cover stars Rosemary Ferguson and Cora Corré wore highlights from the collection – all followed by an epic karaoke session to end the night. Paul Toner
Stefan Cooke
Stefan Cooke fans, rejoice! Design duo Cooke and Jake Burt have brought back their womenswear. After flirting with the idea during their SS23 collection, this was the pair’s most fully-fledged women’s outing to-date, packed with ace ribbed leather vests and mohair blanket skirts, skinny denim and patchwork bombers. They invited their extended fashion fam to Jake’s – the designers’ on-going Saturday pop-up shop were they flog special one-offs and exclusives – to see and shop the collection IRL, which featured similarly excellent menswear. An added bonus was that a model from the collection’s lookbook, Louis Thompson, is a fantastic baker by trade and whipped up a ginormous cherry and almond cake for the occasion. An utterly delicious way to spend a Saturday afternoon. PT
Ahluwalia
Priya Ahluwalia‘s AW25 lookbook, entitled Sanctuary, delves into the art of curation and the preservation of history, intertwining culture and heritage with a profound respect for the past. In this collection, Aluwahlia reflects on how stories and artefacts endure through generations, drawing inspiration from treasured family heirlooms, archival treasures, and age-old craftsmanship. The tailoring in AW25 speaks to this reverence, with standout pieces like the Kholi coat, which is a tribute to a jacket once worn by Aluwahlia’s grandfather in 1970s Mumbai. Or similarly, a wool suiting fabric reminiscent of the crackling static of VHS tapes – evoking the nostalgia of home videos and the intimacy of storytelling. With sharp silhouettes and textiles steeped in cultural richness – velvet, silk woven and hints of gold – the collection entwined perfectly with Aluwahlia’s continued exploration of her Indian-Nigerian lineage. Laurell Jarrett Anderson
Top image: photography courtesy of Masha Popova.
