Admittedly, London Fashion Week (LFW) has always been my least favorite of the fashion capitals- I have always felt like the silhouettes are often a bit grotesque and the proportions are far out. For London Fashion Week Spring 2023, it seems nothing’s changed in that regard- I have saved but twenty-nine photos from eight collections: to put that into perspective, I recall having to re-name and tag hundreds of photos in seasons past…and 3 of them ended up being from a New York Fashion Week Spring 2023 collection taking being posted during London Fashion Week of course. While there are collections with exquisite fabrics, beading, and embroidery, for example, I find them to be out of place, dated- and not in a cool way- uninspired, boring, run-of-the-mill… Perhaps that’s the problem with commercialized ready-to-wear, it’s become more about costers and buyers, investors and shares, and what sells (aka boring mall clothes) versus true fashion-forward fashion design. That’s what happened with Anne Demeulemeester– this really androgynous futuristic creative designer’s house had its aesthetic diluted- the spirit of the designer was sucked dry and the result was lackluster apparel… Alas, as I write this in the early hours of the morning, I thought I’d seen hope as I found myself thinking a particular show meant there was hope in the last moment for London Fashion Week…but it was the mirage of the beginning of Milan Fashion Week, you see.

Chet Lo Spring 2023

3D Shibori (think popcorn fabric), layering, low-rise trousers, sheer fabrics…there’s a continuation of the 90s and 2000s aesthetics from New York Fashion Week. The color palette includes kelly green, powder blue, salmon, scarlet, baby and bubblegum pink, fuchsia, off-white, light teal, pumpkin, white, cyan, magenta, and chartreuse. Seamless knits with subtle yet gorgeously ergonomic prints hug the body in an organic fashion, used on halter neckline dresses with shrugs in kelly green and periwinkle. This isn’t your auntie’s popcorn top…it has a full mask attached and sleeve-stirrups, a matching bag, and is paired with low-rise single-welt front pocket boot-cut polished cotton trousers with curved sideseams and curved knee darts…all in a monochrome baby blue. Linear halftone floral prints graced not only the dresses, drill jean boatneck jackets and pants…but also the models’ skin, which is such a modern and playful touch it makes one do a double take. Cutouts with sheer inlays, shrugs, tube tops, pencil skirts, freyed unfinished edges of sheer fabric, a pink overdress in sheer synthetic gauze, and matching stiletto nails…this collection served up some eye candy to be sure.

Christopher Kane Spring 2023

Christopher Kane has continued to elevate his collections, and this appears to be his most high-fashion and well-edited yet. Monochrome mint or baby pink skirt suits made with georgette jackets and charmeuse slip skirts with white lace scalloped edge appliqué; charcoal heather jersey tees and sweater jackets with clear vinyl buckle or dog-leash clip closures; accordion pleated crepe de chine skirts; a rib-knit body suit was given the straight jacket treatment in lieu o snaps; vinyl and buckle harnesses paired with stick-on lacy bralette cups; buckle up side seam pants of a charcoal silk wool suit; cut-outs; clear vinyl overdresses… there’s a hard-edged modernity to this collection. I do like the way the cold-shoulder lace dress is constructed in panels of lace with bias seams leaving the darts as negative space to beautifully accentuate the cutouts; it is rather interesting to layer the skirt over the peplum, I just wish the blouson of the bubble skirt was more dramatic to give it more balance and make the hem look a little more polished but that’s the only possible flaw one could scrutinize in this look. The styling was quite simply limited to the patent leather buckle boots, gladiator meets leather-face sandals (and that’s not a read, it’s like a flap of skin draped over the foot with a print of the bones and muscles (a motif of the collection), and I’m here for it.

Emilia Wickstead Spring 2023

Subtle refined design characterizes Emilia Wickstead’s Spring 2023 collection. Pleating, floral prints, a neutral and jewel-toned color palette featuring watercolor floral prints, and classic cuts and silhouettes make up this collection. The fabric selection includes organza, floral lace, silk satin, poplin, and chiffon. The color palette is mostly neutral and warm, with white and beige, lemon, umber, khaki, nude, black, purple, teal, red, raspberry, and rosé. In addition to just a delicate touch of pearl and bead embellishment, jewel, boat, and sweetheart necklines adorn loose and boxy shirts and fitted hourglass silhouetted micro-mini dresses.

Harris Reed Spring 2023

Harris Reed’s Spring 2023 collection is retroactively futuristic, with a sort of seventies style infused into an adventurously avant-garde silhouette: flared pant legs, mermaid gowns, and original creative garments dominate the presentation. A few of the looks distract from the other well-executed and high-fashion garments- particularly the largest circular draped cyan and gold looks. I don’t particularly care for the two-way-sequin fabric used on the mermaid skirt, and find it cheapens the look. The hats and headpieces perfectly accentuate the dramatic silhouettes.

Palmer Harding Spring 2023

Stylish simplicity characterizes Palmer Harding’s Spring 2023 collection, with asymmetrical draped trousers in white, wonderfully witchy black kaftan, and an on-trend cold-shouldered open-seam button-up. A muted color palette, clean line, and simple silhouettes- Palmer Harding has done more with less.

Temperly London Spring 2023

Floral appliques atop sheer paneled beautiful flowing dresses contrast fully beaded dresses that seem a little dated with the sleeves. It’s almost like there was a different hand to the dresses shot outside- they seem lighter, brighter, effervescent, and more timeless than the rest of the collection. I wonder if Vogue messed up and these aren’t two separate collections…if not- they should be!

Vivienne Westwood Spring 2023

I love the silhouette and cut of this suit, a tan graphic print fabric is not what catches my eye, but rather the roll of the peak lapel, the high-waisted tapered-leg pant, the broad squared shoulder… It isn’t usually the menswear that steals the show from womenswear, but this suit can stand out in a dimly lit photo of a model standing in a cluttered living room with children’s toys scattered about the floor in front of a glass sliding door overlooking a cloudy skyline…seriously though- why? Make it make sense Vivienne!