The five key trends spotted at London Fashion Week 2024
Sheer skirts, faux-fur coats and big bows were huge news
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.London Fashion Week is well underway, with Masha Popova, Ahluwalia and Simone Rocha’s shows just a handful of those that have taken place already. And we’ve started to spot some key trends that are sure to take off for the autumn/winter season.
Now in its 40th year, London Fashion Week has (unsurprisingly) created some real talking points. Joanna Lumley surprised guests at Completedworks, adding a comedic edge to the jewellery brand’s presentation; Sinead O’Dwyer brought out a brilliant selection of models demonstrating that the fashion industry truly is for everybody; and Richard Quinn wowed with intricately beaded bodysuits and bridal gowns, resulting in quite an emotional audience.
When it came to street style spots, red tights were rampant, while silver jewellery, double denim and oversized coats also seemed popular – all of which we’ll be weaving into our wardrobes immediately.
But, looking at the runway, the key reason behind the extravagant event, plenty of pieces caught our eye as standout styles. Despite each designer stamping their own signature style into each collection, there’s always a handful of key themes that flow through a whole host of them.
For the autumn/winter season, we’ve spied five trends that stuck out: sheer fabrics, faux fur, big bows, oversized outerwear and punchy prints. Keep scrolling to learn more about each style.
Read more: What makes London Fashion Week so special?
Sheer styling
Before London Fashion Week came Copenhagen Fashion Week, kicking off February with Scandi style, and sheer fabrics were one of the key trends that took over. Following suit, the see-through trend also took over the London runways with Simone Rocha, Eudon Choi and David Koma just a handful of designers that showcased the dainty, fragile fabric. Sheer skirts, dresses and shirts came down the runway, smartly styled with knitwear and blazers.
Taking the trend off of the runway and into our wardrobes, we’d recommend layering sheer slip dresses (£11, Urbanoutfitters.com) and shirts (£135, Cos.com) over leggings (£29, Hush-uk.com), jeans (£95, Jigsaw-online.com) and bralettes, such as this Love Stories style (£57, Harverynichols.com), to gently step into the look.
Faux fur
As it was autumn/winter styles on show, knitwear, coats and cosy layers stood out as key pieces, and faux fur and shearling seemed to be among the fabrics of choice. David Koma created teddy bear biker jackets, Natasha Zinko exaggerated the look with extra large coats and Roksanda added an elegant touch to a faux fur vest.
To lean into the look, we spotted a handful of Fashion Week guests wearing the Alo Yoga opulent faux fur cropped jacket (£355, Aloyoga.com), while this Kitri Simone vinyl coat also looks incredibly chic (£186, Coggles.com), and this & Other Stories option (£165, Stories.com) is best for those who prefer classic black.
All about bows
Bows quickly took over as a must-have accessory late last year, with homeware, hair accessories and Christmas trees all being adorned with ribbons. But it seems bows aren’t going anywhere, as Bora Aksu, Molly Goddard and Richard Quinn were just a handful of designers who brought them into their autumn/winter collections.
Offering an affordable way to elevate every outfit, H&M’s hair elastics (£2.99, Hh.com), Anthropologie’s set of three satin bows (£18, Anthropologie.com) and Liberty’s floral cotton bow clip (£45, Libertylondon.com) are sure to win style points.
Oversized outerwear
As we were looking at the upcoming winter season, outerwear was a key component, and oversized, exaggerated shapes stuck as a key style. Eudon Choi, Edward Crutchley and Erdem were a handful of designers delivering large lapel coats and striking shoulder pads – it seems bigger is certainly better, in the outerwear department.
While we’ve already tried and tested a whole host of coat options, if you’re leaning towards the oversized look, Hush’s Rose check double-breasted wool coat (£239, Hush-uk.com), Weekday’s Alex oversized wool blend coat (£135, Weekday.com) and Arket’s oversized wool coat (£155, Arket.com) have caught our eye.
Punchy prints
Although there were plenty of neutrals on display from a whole host of designers, bold, bright patterns stuck out as key pieces. Sinead Gorey made a case for gingham, Ahluwalia went a little more abstract, and Masha Popova did what she does best: elevating denim with a striking stylistic edge.
While any pattern you pick will work – the bolder, the better – this Nobody’s Child gingham dress (£89, Nobodyschild.com), Rixo leopard print skirt (£185, Rixolondon.com) and Boden silk shirt (£112, Boden.co.uk) are among our favourite finds.
Voucher codes
For the latest offers on fashion and more, try the links below:
Want more Fashion Week content? Check out this street style trend