As London Fashion Week continues, more designers take to the catwalk to showcase their spring/summer collections. From Ahluwalia and Natasha Zinko to Masha Popova, and more, here are some highlights from the recent shows.
Ahluwalia questions the concept of ‘home’ in poignant London Fashion Week show
Priya Ahluwalia’s SS25 show was entitled ‘Home Sweet Home’, inspired by a trip Ahluwalia took to Jamaica over Christmas. Home is both a physical and emotional concept for the designer, and the collection took inspiration from her Nigerian-Indian roots.
Through a palette of burnt umbers, greens and ultramarine blues, Ahluwalia mirrored the eclectic colours of her dual heritage, while weaving in elements of her upbringing in England. A leaf motif was printed onto knee-high boots and skintight dresses, which came from the wallpaper in Ahluwalia’s grandparents’ first English home. Patterns taken from rugs in the designer’s childhood home were also emblazoned onto pieces throughout the collection.
While literal references were employed, Ahluwalia also incorporated more conceptual homely motifs – such as deconstructed and contorted fabrics. In two of the women’s dresses, the fabric was stretched, pulled and tied in knots. According to Ahulwalia, this was a reference to her grandmother’s experience of still feeling an emotional pull back to her home in India, no matter how long she’s lived in the UK.
The abundance of layering was not only clear in Ahluwalia’s message, but on the runway adorned with several kilim rugs, which some models found difficult to navigate. Ahluwalia also introduced some glamorous evening ensembles, which haven’t really been seen in the designer’s previous collections.
The garments were adorned with beaded vests and matching wigs constructed entirely from chunky multicoloured beads, which rustled noisily as models took to the runway. Jewels and beads also scattered the runway beyond the ensembles, as Ahluwalia collaborated with jewellery brand Pandora for the collection.
Natasha Zinko puts plastic ‘tits’ and BBLs on display
Ukranian designer Natasha Zinko is a London Fashion Week regular, who cleverly weaves political and environmental statements into her runway looks and this season is no different. From outer space aliens for AW24 to campgoers for SS24, Zinko’s unexpected, boundary-pushing fashion designs have almost become expected.
This time, at Lock Studios Warehouse in Bethnal Green, the designer presented a case study on plastic. Not the plastic debris and trash created by humans, but the plastic we use to enhance our “very own mortal forms”. Taking inspiration from the American housewife Timmie Jean Lindsey, who became the first person to receive silicone breast implants in 1962, Zinko created a collection that urges wearers to look inward and reflect on their constant pursuit of beauty.
‘Insert Tits here’ read blatant graphic prints across the collection, meanwhile, plastic implants of sorts were 3D-printed and placed visibly into tiny bra tops. The same goes for BBLs (Brazilian Butt Lifts). These too are recreated as 3D-printed globules to be put proudly on display in place of pockets on the rears of skimpy jeans and denim skirts.
Her playful surrealism doesn’t stop there. Variations on the all-white medical attar contrast form-fitting patient’s gowns that feature post-op openbacks – adjustable with elongated straps for sex appeal throughout recovery. Elsewhere, bizarre shapes are fitted upon distorted tracksuits and, of course, it wouldn’t be a Natasha Zinko show without a glimpse of underwear. This season, it returned to the runway as abstract as ever, appearing as bags and even hoodie pockets.
Vietnamese designer Tran Hung mixes soft florals with sharp tailoring for SS25
Vietnamese designer Tran Hung established their eponymous brand in 2016, making a name for its ethical approach to fashion and ethereal yet edgy designs.
Its garments have been worn by celebrities including singer Ariana Grande, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan and presenter Ashley James, who wore a Tran Hung creation to the National Television Awards last Wednesday.
For the spring/summer 2025 collection, shown at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel in London, the luxury label leaned into the romance of the season – mixing soft florals with sharp tailoring.
With glittering column gowns, flirty mini dresses and unique suiting, the designer’s clothes are made for the red carpet. While some models wore neutral colours, including Amanda Holden’s daughter Lexi Hughes, the palette was brought alive with electric purples and vibrant reds.
Masha Popova encourages wearers to embrace fashion faux pas for SS25
Today, in the heart of LFW40 at 180 Strand, Masha Popova invited her audience to revel in the unplanned. The collection is all about capturing sporadic and serendipitous fashion moments. From throwing clothes without thinking, underwear getting caught on dresses and faux pas such as an exposed bras – the collection had it all.
The conceal-reveal moments highlighted on the runway were inspired by Exhibition In Paris by Patrick Magaud, a book containing images of women photographed in various states of undress around the French capital.
Masha Popova never fails to add a dose of nostalgia to her collections. This time, it takes the form of reworked Superstar 82 trainers, supplied by Adidas for the show. The designer customised a limited run of just 65 pairs of shoes, each painted by hand, embellished with antique brass studs and layered with paint. As each pair fades over time, they’ll expose the ageing effect Popova champions.
According to Popova, the Impulse collection was designed for the same imperfect girl who raced down the highway in previous seasons, but now she’s grown up. The target audience? None other than Masha Popova herself, who’s evolving along with her fashion creations.
