London Fashion Week: All the gear and no idea

Once the world's capital for avant-garde design, London's designers have been left adrift. What now?

Once the beating heart of avant-garde creativity, London Fashion Week (LFW) has felt different in recent seasons. Autumn/Winter 2025 was particularly quiet, with no 16Arlington, Molly Goddard, Chopova Lowena, JW Anderson, Nensi Dojaka, Ahluwalia, Knwls, Aaron Esh, Karoline Vitto, or Johanna Parv on the runway.

What’s behind this shift? The reasons are manifold, but the signs are impossible to ignore. Global economic instability, soaring production costs, and a lack of infrastructure are making it increasingly difficult for designers to sustain their brands. Add that to the post-Brexit business climate – rife with supply chain disruptions, higher tariffs, and reduced international collaboration – and it’s clear why many are rethinking their involvement in LFW altogether.

The price of a show vs. the value of a show

Staging a runway show isn’t cheap – £60,000 or more for a 10-minute spectacle. And with London’s Spring/Summer 2025 season pulling in a meager £20.9 million in earned media value (compared to New York’s £132 million, Milan's £250 million and Paris's whopping £437 million), according to research by influencer marketing firm Lefty, the maths simply doesn’t add up.