How London Fashion Week is Rejecting Perfection

Words: Katy Cutbirth

For the past few seasons we’ve watched fashion inch toward a kind of purposeful dishevelment, but this London Fashion Week the mood took shape into something which felt more intentional. A trend I first saw at Prada last year with messy hair and crinkled shirting, has evolved into a broader trend that feels adaptable to the aesthetic language of so many different designers. 

There’s a growing appetite for clothes that acknowledge the chaos of living today: garments that crease, slip, and shift with the body. In many ways, this rejection of polish feels like a subconscious response to the cultural temperature, a moment defined by political turmoil, economic unease, and the strange emotional fatigue of existing online. When everything else feels tightly controlled or performative, perfection in dress can read as out of touch.

What emerged across London Fashion Week was a collective embrace of the human mess. Tousled hair, smudged makeup, raw hems, and a swing toward norm-core silhouettes, often replacing or sometimes paired with traditional tailoring and suggested a new kind of honesty. Hyper-refined beige minimalism of quiet luxury is out - what’s resonating now is sincerity and authenticity. Clothes that look lived-in and personal, pieces that carry the signs of a life lived rather than the promise of an ideal.
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I began the week with Marie Lueder, whose casting I loved, with walks from Princess Julia and Rose McGowan. The hair was either tousled or hidden in hoods. There was a punk post-apocalyptic feel to the collection that has become synonymous with Marie and subtly foreshadowed the week ahead. My favourite look was the beanie resembling a helmet worn with a slogan t-shirt with the words ‘sorry no budget’, Marie we’ll happily ride into battle with you!

Fashion East took place at the Nike x Palace community space, a venue that felt both Victorian and industrial. It was a fitting setting for an organisation known for championing young designers. Guests were welcomed by an art exhibition centred on community, and as I moved further into the space, kids - far cooler than I ever was or will be - skateboarded around the venue. It felt like a family affair, one everyone present seemed genuinely excited to be a part of. 

“What I think makes this shift toward imperfection so compelling is how easily it translates into real life. Don’t brush your hair. Throw a hoodie over your best dress and pull on worn-in trainers. Make something yourself.”

This season’s Fashion East roster featured returning designers Jacek Gleba and Mayhew, alongside a debut from Traiceline Pratt. Mayhew in particular leaned into the deliberately off-kilter mood, with strong styling by Lara McGrath. The show felt part pirate, part white trash-glam: boots and trousers left unzipped, gloves tied around legs. It was DIY and experimental - a woman fighting for her life and looking chic while doing it.

At Alexandra Palace, Simone Rocha introduced her collaboration with Adidas, pairing her signature ruffles with trainers, track jackets and ribbons galore. Frizzy hair reappeared, knitwear was carried haphazardly under arms, and long johns - in tan and pink floral - were threaded throughout the collection. This season’s Simone girl feels like the frazzled English woman’s hot Irish cousin.

Sunday we had Lucila Safdie’s presentation, set in The Argentine Ambassador's Residence where according to the show notes ‘Prim conformity curdles into rebellion’. This Lucila girl was glamorous and mischievous, a low rise jean capris paired with ruffles and tweed, lace bodysuits and abandoned heels, the designer plays with the idea of becoming a woman but still holding on to being a rebellious teen. A pop song played on a baby grand, champagne spilt on parquet flooring, this was the energy of the week and I simply would love to bottle it up and wear it as my scent. 

Also on Sunday was Emilia Wickstead who is known for her tailored dresses fit for a princess but this season the designs felt a touch more blue collar. We saw denim shirts styled under gowns, shirts and cardigans unbuttoned, uneven and untucked and chunky knits carried down the runway in hand as if an afterthought. It portrayed a woman on the go, places to be, errands to run, kids to pick up; on the way to a gala perhaps? A practical shoe worn with an impeccable dress, it was refreshing and relatable.

Monday’s Conner Ives was a clear highlight for London Fashion Week. Staged in the ballroom at Claridge’s, Kim Cattrall sat front row, Conner Ives muse, Tish opened and Dominique closed, it was a beautiful room matched by even more compelling casting. These were clothes we were already mentally adding to cart: joggers worn with silk tops and heels, track pants tucked into socks, jeans and a t-shirt paired with fur. Ives continues to dress his customer with comfort and a quiet sensual ease - never overdone. The collection was inspired by the 1920’s in Germany before the war, the parties and what people were feeling before shit hit the fan and the parallels of that sentiment being felt today. He calls out ICE specifically in his show notes stating ‘fuck ICE, fuck the dismantling of democracy, fuck fragile male ego’!!!!   

What I think makes this shift toward imperfection so compelling is how easily it translates into real life. Don’t brush your hair. Throw a hoodie over your best dress and pull on worn-in trainers. Make something yourself. Put your steamer and iron in storage and reclaim a few extra minutes in the morning. Clothes, for this season at the very least, are at their best when they tell a story of a life being lived.