Honestly, if you weren't standing in the rain outside 180 The Strand this past February or September, you probably missed the real vibe of London Fashion Week 2024. Social media makes it look like a seamless parade of thin people in expensive coats, but the reality of the 40th-anniversary year was much grittier. It was a year of "check-mating." We saw Daniel Lee trying to find his footing at Burberry while younger designers like Aaron Esh and Johanna Parv literally fought for oxygen in a post-Brexit, high-inflation economy.
It was a weird year for British fashion.
On one hand, you had the legacy giants trying to prove that London still has commercial teeth. On the other, the city’s reputation for "unbridled creativity" felt a bit strained by the fact that it’s incredibly expensive to just exist in London right now. If you’re looking for the glossy, PR-approved version of 2024, you can find that on any brand’s Instagram. But if you want to know why this specific year felt like a pivot point for the industry, we need to talk about the messy stuff.
The Burberry Problem and the Quest for "Britishness"
Everyone watches Burberry. It’s the anchor. If Burberry fails, London Fashion Week 2024 loses its primary orbit. Daniel Lee’s Fall/Winter 2024 show in Victoria Park was basically a massive tent filled with the scent of damp grass and high expectations. He’s been trying to pivot the brand away from the sleek, Italianate lines of Riccardo Tisci and back toward something "traditionally British."
But what does that even mean in 2024?
Lee leaned hard into the outdoors. Think heavy moleskin, trench coats with faux-fur collars, and those chunky "Equestrian Knight" bags. Some critics loved it; others felt it was a bit muddy—literally and figuratively. The "Englishness" felt a bit forced, like a caricature of a rainy day in the Cotswolds. Yet, by the September show (Spring/Summer 2025), things felt a little lighter. We saw more of the "easy" elegance—distressed silks and functional zippers. It’s clear Burberry is playing a long game, trying to sell a version of Britain that is both rugged and luxury, even if the price tags are now firmly in the "Hermès tier."
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Why 2024 Was the Year of the "Real" Wardrobe
For a long time, London was the place where you went to see a dress made out of recycled trash or a 3D-printed headpiece that no human could actually wear. That shifted this year. 2024 was the year of "wearability," which sounds boring but is actually quite radical for London.
Look at Tove. Or 16Arlington.
These brands are moving away from the "costume" vibe of the East London scene and toward high-end, sophisticated dressing. 16Arlington’s Marco Capaldo delivered a collection that felt like a love letter to the "cool girl" who actually has a job. It was heavy on textures—monsters of sequins and sheer fabrics— but the silhouettes were grounded. It wasn't just about the spectacle; it was about the garment.
Then you have someone like Aaron Esh. His 2024 shows were a masterclass in modern masculinity and femininity blurred together. It’s clothes you see people wearing in Soho at 2 AM, but elevated with Savile Row tailoring. This shift is important because it shows London designers are finally getting serious about the business side of fashion. They want to be on the racks at Selfridges, not just in a museum.
The NEWGEN Energy
The BFC (British Fashion Council) NEWGEN program celebrated 30 years recently, and the 2024 cohort felt the weight of that history. Names you need to know:
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- Luda Nikishina: She’s doing things with shearling that make you forget every ugly Ugg boot you’ve ever seen.
- Paolo Carzana: His work is basically wearable art made from organic, hand-dyed fabrics. It’s fragile, haunting, and completely different from anything coming out of Milan or Paris.
- Sinéad O'Dwyer: She continues to lead the conversation on body inclusivity. While other cities are backsliding into "heroin chic" casting, O'Dwyer designs specifically for bodies that aren't a size zero. In 2024, she won the Han Nefkens Fashion-on-the-Edge Award, proving that her "technical" approach to inclusive fit is more than just a trend.
The Return of the "Cool" Celebrity Row
Celebrity sightings at London Fashion Week 2024 weren't just about influencers with ring lights. We had actual icons.
Central Saint Martins graduate Simone Rocha—who is basically fashion royalty at this point—brought out the heavy hitters. Her collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier earlier in the year (Couture) set the stage for her own 2024 collections, which were breathtaking. She used real Victorian mourning jewelry as inspiration and mixed it with Crocs. Yes, Crocs. If you can make a foam clog look like a luxury item, you’ve won.
At JW Anderson, the front row was a mix of "cool-girl" actors and art world elites. Jonathan Anderson is arguably the most influential designer in the world right now (between Loewe and his own label), and his 2024 London shows were predictably weird. He showed dresses that looked like giant balls of yarn and skirts made of what appeared to be interior design materials. It’s playful, it’s slightly annoying to the traditionalists, and it’s exactly why people still fly to London for fashion week.
Logistics, Brexit, and the Elephant in the Room
We can't talk about London Fashion Week 2024 without mentioning that it’s a logistical nightmare for many designers right now. The "Vat-free shopping" for tourists is still gone, which has gutted the retail spend in the city. Many young designers are struggling with shipping costs to the EU, which used to be their biggest market.
This is why we saw a lot of "off-schedule" events. Brands are realizing they don't necessarily need a £50,000 runway show to make an impact. Some opted for intimate dinners or digital presentations. There’s a sense of "survival of the fittest" happening. The designers who survived 2024 are those who have a very clear identity. You can't just be "talented" anymore; you have to be a CEO.
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Trends That Actually Mattered
Forget the "micro-trends" you see on TikTok for five minutes. These are the shifts from 2024 that will actually stick around:
- Industrial Romance: Soft fabrics like lace or silk paired with heavy boots or utility jackets. Think Erdem but with a darker, more practical edge.
- The "Post-Office" Look: Blazers that are oversized but structured, worn with nothing underneath or layered over sheer slips.
- Red (Still): Everyone thought the "Pop of Red" would die in 2023. It didn't. It was everywhere in the Fall collections, specifically in hosiery and leather accessories.
- Heritage Revival: Tartans and checks, but distorted. Not your grandma’s plaid, but something that looks like it’s been through a glitch filter.
The Verdict on 2024
Was it the best London Fashion Week ever? No.
The energy felt a bit fractured. The gap between the "mega-brands" like Burberry and the tiny, struggling startups is wider than ever. However, there was a resilience that felt very... London. The city thrives when things are a bit chaotic. When the economy is bad, the art usually gets better because people have nothing to lose.
We saw that in the Dilara Findikoglu show. She famously skipped a season because of funding issues, but her 2024 return was a high-octane exploration of gender and power. It was raw. It felt like a protest. That is what London does better than anyone else. Paris is for the dreamers, Milan is for the makers, but London is for the fighters.
How to Apply the 2024 Aesthetic to Your Own Style
You don't need a front-row seat to adopt the London vibe. The 2024 shows taught us a few things about how to dress in the "real world."
- Invest in "Hero" Outerwear: If 2024 taught us anything, it’s that your coat is your outfit. Whether it’s a thrifted trench or a structured wool overcoat, make it the focal point.
- Texture Over Color: Stop worrying if colors "match." Instead, mix textures—denim with silk, leather with knits. This "muddled" look was a staple on the 2024 runways.
- Support the Locals: British fashion is in a fragile state. If you’re going to buy luxury, look at the smaller names like Chopova Lowena or SS Daley. These are the brands defining the culture right now.
- Embrace the "Unfinished": Raw hems, exposed zippers, and deconstructed silhouettes were huge this year. It’s okay if your outfit looks a little "undone."
The next step for anyone following this space is to keep an eye on the BFC’s upcoming schedule for 2025. The shift toward commercial viability isn't slowing down, and we're likely to see even more "wearable" fashion as designers try to navigate the current economic climate. Watch the independent boutiques in East London—they usually stock the "runway rejects" that end up becoming the biggest trends two years later.