It’s another fashion month, and this SS27 season promises to be one of the most packed – and promising – schedules of recent memory. Across New York, London, Milan and Paris, hundreds of designers will be showcasing the looks for the season ahead, along with a series of immersive events, exhibitions and pop-ups. And in the UK, the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Britain event schedule will take some of the capital’s most exciting designer names on a tour across the country, widening access to fans based in Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Dundee and Cardiff.
Last September, all eyes were on designer debuts; namely, Jonathan Anderson at Dior to Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, alongside 13 other high-profile appointments. One year on, we’re excited to see how the designers have settled into their roles ,and blended their aesthetics with traditional house codes. “I really want to see more experimentation,” says fashion critic Ayọ̀ Òjó, aka Fashion Roadman. “We are hopefully ushering out of the quiet luxury phase the industry has been in for a while and slowly going back to the era when every brand has a more distinctive aesthetic.”
We’re also keeping our eyes peeled for standout pieces that are likely to sell out when they hit the shelves next summer. For AW26, opera gloves made a keen return to the runway, as did leather triangle scarves, floral brooches (thanks, Chanel) and dramatic drop waists exaggerated with statement belts. “I’m keen to see if the cummberbund really is going to be the men’s styling staple of the season,” says fashion commenter James Shirley. “So many people are hailing it as the new ‘it’ accessory of menswear and I’m excited to see how it’s translated!”
This season also brings with it an impressive cohort of new names, especially in London, where the show schedule has been officially extended to 5 days in order to accommodate (okay, London technically always started on the Thursday, but this season it’s just as packed as the weekend).
To find out more, we caught up with some of our favourite fashion commenters and critics to hear from the best on the moments not to miss this SS27.
New York
New York Fashion Week is already underway, but there’s still plenty to look forward to this week. Ten designers are making their NYFW debuts this season, including Henry Zankov at Diane Von Furstenberg and London-based, American-born designer Conner Ives, who just hosted his debut over the weekend. Meanwhile, Tommy Hilfiger has returned to the official calendar after several seasons of standalone spectacles – because what would New York Fashion Week be without a little celebrity chaos? Its latest show brought out the big guns, with Slayyyter taking to the stage for the occasion.
The storytelling is always so brilliant, the design is unlike anything else, there’s always so much to talk about – and most importantly, the audience is always best dressed.
Rian Phin
“I’m excited to see LUAR, just like every season,” says fashion critic Rian Phin. “The storytelling is always so brilliant, the design is unlike anything else, there’s always so much to talk about – and most importantly, the audience is always best dressed.”
We’ll also be keeping our eyes peeled for Rachel Scott’s sophomore collection for Proenza Schouler following her acclaimed debut, before she presents her own label, Diotima, later in the week, alongside fan favourite Sandy Liang and sculptural mastermind Bad Binch Tong Tong.
London
London’s reputation on the global fashion calendar is the place to launch emerging talent. This includes the British Fashion Council’s NewGen cohort, Fashion East’s acclaimed talent incubator, and a variety of university student showcases. “Central Saint Martins’ MA Fashion show is the one I genuinely look forward to every year. It consistently functions as a cultural barometer, reading and responding to shifts in the industry before they’ve fully arrived elsewhere,” says Amber Chow, Social Editor at Doji. “It’s often wild, even chaotic, but that’s precisely its value. Its creative work is made without commercial guardrails, which is increasingly rare to see.”
“Pauline Dujancourt, Maximilian Raynor and Aaron Esh” are all emerging names Understitch will be keeping an eye on, while Gastt Fashion is keen to watch Leo Prothmann, Myat and Petra Fagerstrom, as well as NEXMARKET’s pop-up event. “Leo is always perfectly utilitarian with great colour stories and palettes,” he shares. “And I adore Petra’s delightfully confounding lenticular pleats. For SS27, I’m hoping for some more hauntological glamour.” From the 15 designer debuts, we’re also excited to see what’s on offer from A Letter, Gui Rosa, Joyce Bao and Francesca Lake.
Which celeb will be the punchline this season? Last year, we had ‘Bye Anna’ and in Feburary we had ‘Hi Lauren Sanchez Bezos” so I can’t want to see who Keburia hand the honour to this season.
James Shirley
London’s also got a reputation for not taking itself too seriously, and George Keburia’s slogan tees have become a frequent source of viral posts. “Which celeb will be the punchline this season?” James Shirley ponders. “Last year, we had ‘Bye Anna’ and in Feburary we had ‘Hi Lauren Sanchez Bezos” so I can’t want to see who Keburia hand the honour to this season.”
There are two names marking their long-awaited returns to London’s fashion schedule this season: Alexander McQueen and Mulberry. Sean McGirr is taking McQueen back home (thank you Laura Weir), and we’re hoping to see more of the brand’s punk spirit revived. “I’m excited to see how Sean McGirr is translating McQueen’s long-awaited return to LFW and if that has an impact on the collection,” says James Shirley. “Cool Britannia 2.0 anyone?”
Meanwhile, Mulberry returns for its first runway show since 2017 thanks to the appointment of new creative director Christopher Kane, best known for his outlandish photoprints and his fearlessness with colour. “I need to know which Mulberry bag is going to be the ‘it’ bag for next season – Christopher Kane is sure to offer one up and I’m betting on the Joelle making a comeback,” James adds. London-born label KNWLS will also be returning, after a brief stint showing in Milan.
“In London, I’m excited to see what Agro Studio does next as they were one of my favourites last season,” says Chani Ra. The brand, helmed by George Oxby and Angus Cockram, has had an impressive summer dressing list, from Katseye, Zara Larsson and Rachel Chinouriri’s festival fits, to Lily Allen’s West End Girl tour and BTS’ World Cup opening ceremony outfit. Despite their proclivity for performancewear, the duo know how to deliver serious drama on the runway, and we can’t wait to see the world they’re building this season.
Elsewhere, London’s cult favourites are emerging with a new shared perspective on womenswear. “I’m excited to see the fun, weird, girly brands. My favourite thing in fashion for the past couple of years has been the hyper feminine tropes twisted into something a bit odd, edgy or cool,” says Anasatasia Vartanian, aka FatAnnaWintour. “There are so many female designers doing fabulous things: from established labels like Simone Rocha and Chopova Lowena to rising names like Clara Chu and Joyce Bao.”
Milan
Milan Fashion Week kicks off with a slightly different rhythm this season, with Prada opening proceedings on Tuesday afternoon rather than its usual Thursday slot. The schedule shift comes as Vogue World arrives in the city for its annual fashion extravaganza, which will take place on the first evening of fashion week.
I’m also excited to see the Sunnei duo at Moschino, as much as I adored Adrian Appiolaza – it’s big news for colourful dressers.
Chani Ra
Elsewhere, there’s plenty of new-season intrigue, from second collections by Demna at Gucci and Maria Grazia Chiuri at Fendi, to Louise Trotter’s continuing vision for Bottega Veneta. “I’m also excited to see the Sunnei duo at Moschino, as much as I adored Adrian Appiolaza – it’s big news for colourful dressers,” says Chani Ra. Alongside the new guard, Milan’s established houses will also be out in force, with Marni, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo and Giorgio Armani all on the schedule.
Paris
“I’m always excited about debuts!” says Luke Meagher of Haute Le Mode. “Like Drew Henry at Courrèges, and Kai Nesselrath at Carven!” The pair will both present their first collections for their respective houses this season, adding some fresh blood to an otherwise well-established Paris schedule.
For fashion critic Understitch, Stella McCartney, Yohji Yamamoto and Matières Fécales are two names firmly on the Paris watchlist. “You know I adore fashion history and all these brands have come into fashion in a totally unique way that makes their provenance powerful,” they say. The latter had one of the most talked-about shows of last season and has since landed on the cover of i-D, making its return to the Paris schedule one to watch.
From a trend forecasting perspective, the recent Chloé and Ralph Lauren shows are having a real impact on what people are wearing.
Style Analytics
“Of course, I live my life on the edge of my seat for Chanel’s next adventure,” says Chani Ra. And she’s not alone in keeping all eyes on the Parisian schedule. “From a trend forecasting perspective, the recent Chloé and Ralph Lauren shows are having a real impact on what people are wearing,” says trend forecaster and analyst Style Analytics. “Celine is one of the shows where I will be on that livestream, rather than waiting to flip through Vogue Runway later,” she adds. “The styling has been so good under Michael Ryder; his last few shows have honestly been a lesson in layering and colour combinations. I am also very excited to drool over all the pieces at Dries Van Noten.”
We imagine there will be much excitement for Julie Kegels’ latest collection, with her recent LVMH Prize win last month. And there’s plenty of movement elsewhere in the calendar, too. Miu Miu has moved its usual slot to Sunday afternoon, while Louis Vuitton will once again bring fashion month to a close.
Then there’s Zara x John Galliano, which is perhaps the most controversial pairing on the entire schedule. “Because it’s going to piss a lot of people off and make a lot of people very happy,” says anonymous critic BoringNotCom.
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