This year, London Fashion Week – the youngest of the ‘Big Four’ fashion destinations – turns 40. To mark the occasion, designers saw in the event’s new chapter with a refined vision and amped-up level of confidence for Fall/Winter 2024.
Over its four decades, London has established itself as an incubator for new creatives, as well as paving the way for a wave of exciting Chinese talent including Yuhan Wang, Huishan Zhang, Susan Fang, and Demon Zhang’s Mithridate.
This season was no exception. A city famed for fostering boundary-pushing, off-the-wall visionaries, LFW encourages consumers to look beyond fashion’s commercial overlords, instead shining the spotlight on its melting pot of disruptors.
The Fall/Winter 2024 calendar saw names including Aaron Esh, Saul Nash, Paolo Carzana, and Sinéad O'Dwyer move the needle by setting the standard for runway diversity, raw authenticity, and next-gen craftsmanship. O’Dwyer's runway, for instance, featured models from all walks of life, resisting the industry’s noticeable backtrack on diversity over the past year.
Established names like Burberry, Simone Rocha, and JW Anderson continued to dominate the online conversation and earn the most media value across the week. While big businesses remain critical to the global amplification of LFW, the UK’s economic doldrums and rising costs are putting emerging designers at risk of stoppage. As London hits a new milestone, can it continue to offer fashion’s next-gen talent a lifeline?
Below, in partnership with marketing agency Lefty, Jing Daily rounds up the top five collections of the season that generated the most Earned Media Value (EMV*).
Burberry#
EMV: $5.7 million
The verdict: Snapping up the calendar’s finalé spot on Monday evening, Burberry brought a new dimension to its current evolution against a soundtrack from British legend Amy Winehouse. The heritage house has been dominating headlines and online conversation recently in relation to Daniel Lee’s future at the helm of the brand; all of which drove more attention to, and anticipation for the brand’s Fall/Winter 24 collection. The coat-heavy catwalk saw new renditions of the iconic trench style, alongside mustard fur gilets, slouched leather gumboots, and twisted knit dresses. But the real reason why the house topped the EMV charts this season was its star studded guestlist. Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan, Central Cee, Lil Yachty, were all in attendance; Keoghan’s post dedicated to the show accumulated 309,000 likes alone.
Dilara Findikoglu#
EMV: $1.25 million
The verdict: Turkish-British designer and LFW fixture Dilara Findikoglu, who canceled her show last season to save funds, returned to the city circuit with a self-titled ‘manifesto’ on toxic masculinity and “unrelenting vortex of femme energy.” Looks included chainmail-style helmets crafted from keys, corporate shirts twisted into skirts, cone bras woven into soccer jerseys, and dress fabrics frozen into position. Findikoglu swapped the typical catwalk conveyor for a performance – opened by model and Barbie actress Hari Nef – that leaned more towards the theatrical than spectacle (models were trained by Pat Boguslawski, the movement director behind the walks at Margiela’s recent Artisanal show).
JW Anderson#
EMV: $1.04 million
The verdict: Despite hosting its runway in the heart of London’s Marylebone, JW Anderson transported guests to the British Yorkshire dales for Fall/Winter 2024, with a collection inspired by television classic Last of The Summer Wine. In true expect-the-unexpected Anderson style, zany, off-kilter designs were out in full force, from models wearing salt-and-pepper wigs to comically oversized coats and knit dresses. Anderson’s work at both his namesake label and at Loewe has established himself as a firm Internet favorite, thanks to its ‘meme-factor’ and ability to escape the algorithm. Celebrities in attendance included Asa Butterfield, Charli XCX, Honey Dijon, and Pom Klementieff.
Molly Goddard#
EMV: $690,000
The verdict: Having moved from being one of London’s bright young things to an official arbiter of style, Molly Goddard’s brand may be growing up, but the designer isn’t ready to let go of its childlike playfulness just yet. Inspired by childrenswear, Goddard’s trademark tulle and taffeta gowns were chopped into mini dresses for Fall/Winter 24, with references to the Wild West (such as denim shirts, embroidery detailing, and cowboy boots reimagined in the form of mary jane ballet flats) punctuating her well-loved, bulbous silhouettes. As for the guest list, Saltburn stars are in seemingly hot demand this season, with the arrival of Rosamund Pike stealing guests’ – and the internet’s – attention prior to the show starting.
Simone Rocha#
EMV: $482,000
The verdict: This year has already shaped up to be a big one for Simone Rocha. The Irish-Chinese designer is still dominating the fashion zeitgeist thanks to her recent guest spot at Jean Paul Gaultier for couture week. For Fall/Winter 2024, Rocha returned to her namesake label with the final collection of her triptych, titled “The Wake.” Inspired by Queen Victoria’s mourning apparel, Rocha explored the moody, melancholic side to her designs, manifesting as gathered trapeze dresses and sheer bloomers, paired with fur stoles and pearl-embellished Crocs. Where JW Anderson and Burberry filled up their FROWs with throngs of industry stars to boost cultural relevance, Rocha opted for a more muted affair – a move that most likely affected the amount of online traffic the collection received.
All data insights provided by Lefty.io