The opening night of Fashion Show Live set a considered tone for London Fashion Week
SS25. Beneath the vaulted arches of St Peter’s Church in Eaton Square, five emerging
designers converged to explore craft, culture and individuality – transforming the runway
into a meditation on how fashion not only adorns the body but also articulates identity.
Opening the night, Chenchen Studio unveiled its SS25 collection with a focus on inventive
pattern-cutting and architectural form. Each look was defined by a sculptural silhouette:
garments were contoured with a signature wavy edge that rippled from discreet hems to
exaggerated sleeve flounces, imbuing the collection with a buoyant, almost kinetic quality.
The palette stayed neutral – grey woven fabrics, black-and-white chiffon pieces, and
embroidered shirts – but textures shifted from diaphanous dresses to a meticulously
pieced patchwork suit and even a striped, metallic-sheen padded coat, accessorised with
star-shaped earmuffs. The label closed the show with a playful dance duet and a “money gun” scattering
discount codes, underscoring its experimental, audience-conscious approach.
Next, La Maison Opale bathed the church in a majestic yet intimate glow. Macramé
anchored this French duo’s craft, reimagined in chandelier-like drapery, enveloping capes
and striking necklines. A shimmering but bold palette ran from short, flirtatious dresses to
sculptural maxi lengths, each piece exalting womanhood and the body it adorned. In
conversation afterwards, the designer spoke of “the full power of the woman” and
described her near-ritualistic process – creating directly from intuition rather than
sketches and sprinkling tears on finished pieces as “an elixir of joy and eternity.” The result
was design elevated into devotion.
Florals came to the fore at Original Ireland, whose SS25 line wove the designer’s Irish
upbringing into playful yet structured silhouettes. Berets perched jauntily above tailored
looks, corseted waits and peplum details carved striking hourglass forms, while pleats
softened the structure with a contemporary fluidity. The overall effect was bold but
elegant: women rendered as powerful, independent figures softened by delicate nuance –
a signature tension the designer continually seeks.
Tawa’s “Essence” collection followed with a high-energy celebration of British Nigerian
heritage and femininity. The runway pulsed with vitality as saturated hues collided with
peacock plumes and floral ornamentation. Dramatic silhouettes – puffed sleeves,
sculpted fishtails and slashed hems – unfolded in layers of velvet, lace and vibrant tribal
prints, their surfaces shifting with texture and light-catching embellishment. Accessories
amplified the narrative – tassel earrings, gold chokers and bangles, towering headwraps,
elongated braids and a flash of gold glitter over one eye. “The Tawa woman knows her
worth and doesn’t care what anyone thinks,” the designer said, citing Kelis, Janet Jackson
and Eve as muses for this confident, authentic spirit.
Closing the runway, Zhong Studio fused technical rigour with subversive styling. Inspired
by the story of a pilot’s crash and rescue, the collection interrogated masculinity and
femininity through sharp collars, ruched panels and tactical zips. Rendered mostly in
layered greys and whites punctuated with sudden bursts of fuchsia, pieces ranged from
pleated kilt-trousers and corseted suiting to biker-tinged jackets with red chain detailing.
Crochet snoods, aviator hats, chain mail and white ankle socks with heels extended to the
narrative of flight, survival and freedom. “I want the audience to feel powerful,” the
designer said. This collection – part couture, part ready-to-wear – realised that ambition
with clarity.
Whether through sculptural tailoring, intricate handwork or bold cultural narratives, each
designer offered a defined point of view – together affirming a season shaped by
individuality, craft and intent, and proving that London Fashion Week remains a stage
where identity finds its sharpest expression.