Trends From London Fashion Week Focus on Sensuality and Materiality
Reviews from London Fashion Week's Fall 2026 shows indicate a focus on sensual, physical, and material-driven collections. WWD highlighted Alessandra Rich’s bold sensuality, Fashion East’s emphasis on physicality, and Toga’s use of material mashups. The collections signal a broader trend toward tactile and body-conscious design.
- Toga’s collection, titled “Pull, Crumple, Pressed,” was a direct exploration of materiality, with the design team manipulating fabrics like cotton, silk, and wool to observe and incorporate accidental folds and distortions into the final garments. - The trend of using fur and faux-fur accents, previously seen on the New York runways, appeared in London at Toga on the sleeves of suit jackets and as detachable collars at Simone Rocha, while Fashion East newcomer Goyagoma showed a camo jacket with a prominent fur collar. - Joseph made its anticipated return to the London runway after a nine-year absence, presenting the first collection under its new creative director, Mario Arena. - Further emphasizing the focus on physicality, emerging designers like Karoline Vitto and Sinead Gorey championed body diversity, casting a range of body shapes and sizes in their shows in a move that stood in contrast to a broader industry shift back towards ultra-thin models. - The influential talent incubator Fashion East moved its showcase to a community skate park in South London, presenting returning designers Jacek Gleba and Louis Mayhew alongside newcomer Traiceline Pratt of GOYAGOMA, who previously trained under Phoebe Philo. - The week opened with a notable front row appearance by King Charles III at the Tolu Coker show, where he was seated with designers Stella McCartney and Seán McGirr, the creative director of Alexander McQueen. - A key beauty trend to emerge was the "glass hair" seen at Chet Lo's show—a pin-straight, hyper-sleek style with a mirror-like shine that signaled a departure from the recent dominance of more natural, textured hair. - Beyond the runway, Completedworks creative director Anna Jewsbury enlisted actress Jemima Kirke for a satirical mini-play to showcase the brand's new jewelry designs, an example of the interdisciplinary collaborations between fashion and performance art seen during the week.
