NAOMI HART LONDON TALKS GEODE-INFUSED SPACE-AGE FUTURISM RIGHT AFTER HER LONDON FASHION WEEK DEBUT. A LONDON FASHION WEEK DEBUT: A SOIRÉE WITH NAOMI HART NAOMI HART LONDON TALKS TO GABRIEL MEALOR-PRITCHARD ABOUT GEODE-INFUSED SPACE-AGE FUTURISM RIGHT AFTER HER LONDON FASHION WEEK DEBUT. 1/8 IMAGES COURTESY OF @ROSSLYNPHOTOGRAPHY Located in a snug studio room on Dean Street, Soho, Naomi Hart showcased their AW25 collection for the brand’s London Fashion Week debut. The plethora of attendees sat around with intense eagerness written all over their faces as the music began. A sombre, melancholic, vintage jazz track brought the viewers to the edge of their seats. The show began. At the end of the show, we caught up with Naomi Hart to discuss what exactly just enthralled our attention for the last 15 minutes. “I’m shaking a little bit,” she joked as we asked her about how she felt directly after her London Fashion Week debut show. Inspired by “a lot of space-age retro-futurism,” the collection is filled with geometric shapes and a true galactic sense that resonated through futuristic sunglasses and chrome, silver-heeled boots. “The inspiration was looking at the panels in my previous collections and then finding [those formations] in geode shapes.” Hart goes on to describe that she doesn’t feel that one individual inspiration works, she has to blend two and explore further down a niche route. “I always think that it's no fun to have one inspiration, I like to contrast it with something,” the designer said. “The whole idea of the collection is to create a new world,” Hart replied when I questioned her on the story behind the music choices she made. The sinister start to the soundtrack that helped tell the designer’s story slowly, over time, transformed into a cheerful end with the runway coming to a close to the sound of “Ray of Light” by Madonna. “The music at the start was supposed to be a little bit eerie, old fashioned, but also the idea of fantasy, as if daydreaming,” tells Hart. Wanting to contrast the garments presented with the music chosen, “the main idea behind the clothes is the girls feeling strong and feeling powerful,” she added. What caught our attention the most was Look 8, a red leather two-piece that demanded power and attention in its own right. “I cannot get away from it, anything that I make, whenever I then do it in a red leather, it’s always the best,” implores Hart as she agrees that it too, was her favourite look of the collection. Especially being the last look she had created for this season. “It was always missing something […] I kept saying to my Mum, there’s not that iconic piece.” “But then I saw it and I thought, I think we’re ready now,” added Hart, chuckling. Though it was short and sweet, Naomi Hart’s debut collection was a success, seconded by the roar of applause and bustle in the air after the show had taken place. However, it begs us to question, now that Hart’s foot is well and truly planted in the London Fashion Week scene, what is next from this emerging creative? We asked just that. “In this collection, there are so many other designs that I didn’t have time to make,” she said before excitingly adding, “So I’m thinking of doing a part two.” Well, if that’s the case, sign us up! We are equally excited as everybody else to see what the brand comes up with. Bravo on your LFW debut, Naomi Hart London.

THE ACCLAIMED FASHION COURSES AT WESTMINSTER HAVE A NEW KID IN TOWN; A PRE-DEGREE FASHION FOUNDATION COURSE HERE TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO MAXIMISE THEIR CREATIVE EXPERTISE AND CRAFT IT INTO FUTURE SUCCESS. A WESTMINSTER FASHION FOUNDATION: THE NEW COURSE TRAINING STUDENTS TO TAKE OVER BRANDS THE ACCLAIMED FASHION COURSES AT WESTMINSTER HAVE A NEW KID IN TOWN; A PRE-DEGREE FASHION FOUNDATION COURSE HERE TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO MAXIMISE THEIR CREATIVE EXPERTISE AND CRAFT IT INTO FUTURE SUCCESS. Written by Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard Westminster University is introducing a significant new addition to its fashion education offering. The Fashion Foundation programme marks the institution’s first foundation year dedicated to fashion, building on a longstanding reputation for producing ambitious, high-calibre student work. Under the leadership of Dominic Akhavan-Moossavi, course leader of the university’s highly regarded fashion master’s degree, the programme benefits from a clear connection to postgraduate-level thinking while remaining accessible to those at the very start of their creative journey. Designed as an entry point into fashion education, the foundation year provides students with a unique opportunity to engage with industry-facing concepts before committing to a three- or four-year degree. It allows participants to test their interest, develop direction, and gain insight into how fashion operates as both a creative and professional discipline. For some, the programme becomes a launchpad into further study at Westminster; for others, it provides transferable skills and experience that can be applied across creative fields. Asthetik Magazine is proud to support the programme as an official sponsor, working closely with the course to amplify student voices beyond the university. Through online platforms and social media, Asthetik will showcase student work to wider audiences while offering guidance on presentation, visibility, and professional development. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to nurturing emerging talent and bridging the gap between education and industry. 1/4 At the heart of the Fashion Foundation programme is an emphasis on experimentation. Students are encouraged to approach their work with curiosity and ambition, using the year as a space to explore ideas freely and take creative risks. The focus is placed firmly on process rather than polished outcomes, reinforcing the understanding that innovation often comes from uncertainty, trial, and reflection. By normalising failure as part of creative practice, the programme helps students develop resilience and adaptability, qualities essential to long-term success in fashion. The teaching throughout the course is shaped around dialogue, challenge, and discovery. Tutors guide rather than dictate, creating an environment that balances support with critical rigour. Students are encouraged to question conventions, examine their own assumptions, and extend their ideas beyond initial instincts. This approach allows individuality to emerge naturally, helping students articulate their perspectives while building confidence in their decision-making and creative voice. By the end of the year, students leave with a strong and versatile foundation. They gain practical insight into how the fashion industry functions, alongside sharpened skills in creative thinking, material exploration, and problem-solving. Just as importantly, they develop the confidence to initiate ideas, communicate concepts clearly, and take ownership of their work. Whether progressing onto a BA or moving forward into other creative pathways, graduates of the programme do so with clarity, purpose, and the momentum needed to thrive. Get in touch with Westminster Fashion on their Instagram or through their website to enquire and apply now!

SEQUINS, FURS, NEON MULLETS AND EVERYTHING NICE; CURIOUSLY SELECTED INGREDIENTS IN A VAGUELY-FOLLOWED RECIPE FOR JONATHAN ANDERSON'S DIOR AUTUMN/WINTER 26 MENSWEAR. ISABELLA SENOI SHARES HER VIEWS. Images courtesy of Dior & Jonathan Anderson REFERENCE EXHAUSTION: JONATHAN ANDERSON'S DIOR AW26 SEQUINS, FURS, NEON MULLETS AND EVERYTHING NICE; CURIOUSLY SELECTED INGREDIENTS IN A VAGUELY-FOLLOWED RECIPE FOR JONATHAN ANDERSON'S DIOR AUTUMN/WINTER 26 MENSWEAR. ISABELLA SENOI SHARES HER VIEWS. Written by Isabella Senoi Edited by Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard The shift from modernity-loving Loewe and its embracing of abstraction still seems to haunt the Creative Director. Despite undertaking this mammoth role at the traditional maison, Anderson does not back away from his long-held ideals of disruption: “I don't want normality; I don't want repetition” he said, at what appeared to be the pre-show press conference of the century (featuring cinematography by Luca Guadagnino – though to what end remains unclear). Indeed, the collection is anything but regular, with eccentricity being the singular thread thinly connecting all of Anderson's seemingly unrelated references; Paul Poiret, punk, Mk.gee and traditional tailoring among them. The first having been the backbone to the show, with reworked Poiret dresses tucked into skinny jeans – a Y2K flapper's uniform – opening the night. The stage had been set, the turn-of-the-century revolutionary had been visually included. Then, just as quickly, the narrative went out the window. Swapping out tentative coherence for tweed cinched jackets, bejewelled epaulettes on pastel polos, and slack sleep-shirt-like jumpers. The styling throws all elements at the wall, and what sticks seems like a game of random association. Bags are designed for, apparently, a wholly separate collection. The only remnants of classic Dior, peppered across a fraction of the overall looks. Tailoring is where the collection shines brightest – still disruptive and interesting, though with much clearer intentions. The adorning of blazers with ultra-dramatic fur cuffs and silk capes continues to subvert sartorial conventions, just as Poiret intended, without sacrificing thematic sense. Here, in true Anderson fashion, florals and furs make sense on a puffer-jacket jellyfish silhouette. It is in these scholarly shapes, including pleats, jacquard and tassels, that the Dior atelier's expert craftsmanship is best appreciated. The delicate nature of Anderson's sophomore Men's showing extends beyond savoir-faire and into the models themselves. Casting is particularly soft in facial features and androgynous in nature, creating a contrast with the urban configurations favoured in outerwear. Anderson modernises aristocratic silhouettes beyond the present day, reevaluating the look of masculine authority and subsequently the night's most interesting point of view. The final looks continue the pattern of mild incoherence from the show's first half, now featuring knits. Slim-fit trousers and bare calves force the eyes south of the ankles to footwear. Anderson's bets for the season were angular, reptilian-clad booties and suede Dior-logo sneakers, the latter potentially a reference to Mk.gee's techy sound. The supposed punk-influence was present purely in the electrifying synthetic hair framing models with deliberately gaunt visages. This aspect in particular feels like a performative effort to come across as provocative and avant-garde. In an attempt to emulate “aristo-youth” characteristics, Anderson loses the focus on an otherwise innovative study in eccentricity. Poiret's pioneering attitude has fortified the Dior CD’s already-bold approach. But does being the first automatically constitute applause? It's clear this is Anderson, but is it Dior? The answer may lie in Women's A/W collections this February.

UMA KARUPPIAH EXAMINES FASHION’S ENDURING FIXATION ON LITERATURE. FROM TOTE BAGS TO LUXURY RUNWAYS, BOOKS HAVE UNEQUIVOCALLY BECOME SIGNALS OF TASTE, PRETENSION. AN EXPLORATION OF LITERATURE IN FASHION APPEARING WELL-READ THROUGH MARKERS OF FASHION UMA KARUPPIAH EXAMINES FASHION’S ENDURING FIXATION ON LITERATURE. FROM TOTE BAGS TO LUXURY RUNWAYS, BOOKS HAVE UNEQUIVOCALLY BECOME SIGNALS OF TASTE, PRETENSION. Written by Uma Karuppiah Edited by Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard Image courtesy of Chopova Lowena The enmeshing of fashion and literature is a predictable and longstanding move within the industry. It bears long, untraceable roots, but finds lucid echoes in the etching of sincere words from novels into romantic relics. Whether through the inscription of quotes or the literal transposing of a book onto the surface of a garment, literary fashion carries an outsized potency. The precise channels from which this potency is drawn are difficult to isolate, but it hovers somewhere between a reverence for the archive and a renewed strain of logo-mania, teetering between pretension and organic interest. The literary tote bag remains the most persuasive case study of fashion in the name of appearing ‘well-read’. Its application in ‘swag bags’ at ‘fashionable’ parties throughout the ’90s still bears cultural weight; visually curious totes insinuate promising contents, whether high-brow literature or trinketry of equal intrigue curated by their owner. The Daunt Books tote bag, released in 2006, has since spread like wildfire. This may be attributed to its sturdier, more sumptuous appearance, a marked contrast to the flimsier structure of the average tote. It has been photographed on the shoulders of celebrities of a particular strain—Helena Bonham Carter, Keira Knightley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Emily Ratajkowski—figures who occupy fascinating positions within the interloping terrain of fashion and literature. Images courtesy of MEGA, Alamy Stock Photos & GC Photos Ratajkowski and Bonham Carter in particular serve as foils. Ratajkowski, hoisting the bag post–My Body, folds it neatly into her ongoing project of literary rebranding. Bonham Carter, meanwhile, appears as something closer to the Daunt tote’s blueprint-wearer: a nepo-baby of the Bonham auctioneer family, her bag sandwiched between layered beneath layers of effortless, coquettish textures. Markers like the tote are invaluable to stylists; they signal not only aesthetic sensibility, but also where the wearer spends their time. The Daunt bag is relatively innocuous compared to other literary totes. Penguin Classics totes, for instance, are frequently spotted in the wild, depicting a vast selection of covers-now replicated with near accuracy by fast-fashion outlets. Sam Wolfson’s scathing take on the Penguin tote holds some water. He describes their owners as those who ‘schlep around both their shopping and literary pretension in one of these classic cover totes’, lamenting that ‘surely the thing about being well-read is that its joys come serendipitously’. While the direct pasting of a cover with no new twist arguably undermines this sense of serendipity, the critique begins to fray when luxury fashion enters the picture. Dior’s first collection under Jonathan Anderson leans into this same appeal. Previewed in 2025 and released this January, the bags are marketed as featuring ‘first-edition covers from the 19th and 20th centuries’ embroidered onto their surfaces—an almost identical selling point to Penguin’s. Once again, the literary siphons its strength from the insinuation of archival access. At surface level, this may seem tenuous, but it aligns with a broader “Emerald Fennell-ing” of literature: the processing of canonical texts into sultry symbols of dark academia. Her forthcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation exemplifies this re-commercialisation of classics and the harnessing of their cultural capital. When Heaven by Marc Jacobs launched its first drop, ‘a whole generation of fashion fans ascended to a higher plane’. This ascendancy relied on a familiar parlour trick: drawing on the spirit of subcultures and re-contextualising them into something newly desirable. The brand’s engagement with Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides operated less as an adaptation than as a signal—a visual shorthand for shared cultural literacy. The imagery, softened by Coppola’s warm-toned aesthetic, was received sensationally, fostering a sense of insider recognition among those already submerged in the novel and film. Heaven excels at locating these cultural pulsepoints and extracting exclusivity from them. Image courtesy of Marc Jacobs This sensibility is physicalised in Heaven’s retail spaces. In Soho, a slender shelf by the shop window hosts a curated selection of books and ephemera supplied by Climax Books, a self-described distributor of hard-to-find periodicals, erotica, VHS tapes, and countercultural texts. Climax’s carefully honed identity has proven magnetic to fashion brands—Chopova Lowena’s lingerie set emblazoned with ‘Climax’ script is a recent example—reviving logo-mania through literary and archival symbols (see image at top of page). Script lifted directly from books offers an even more exclusive funnel. The rhetoric of ‘if you know, you know’ reaches new extremes when lines from specific texts are abstracted onto cloth. I remember receiving a postcard quoting Wuthering Heights in my youth— ‘whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same’—and feeling its quiet power. I’m less certain I’d want it on a tote bag. This is the crux of it: the serendipity you forfeit when intimacy becomes inscription. Valentino’s engagement with Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life is a more compelling intervention. A line of aching poignancy—‘WE ARE SO OLD, WE HAVE BECOME YOUNG AGAIN’—is fragmented across a blazer, split at the lapels. One side reads ‘WE ARE WE HAVE YOUNG’, the other ‘SO OLD, BECOME AGAIN’. This disintegration feels genuinely inventive, less like reanimation and more like interrogation, akin to how the Dior– Anderson totes operate at their best. Image courtesy of Valentino I end with the Fitzcarraldo tote bags, which function almost as a response to all of the above. Blazoned with the title of Dan Fox’s essay Pretentiousness: Why It Matters, and the first paragraph printed on the reverse, the bag openly stakes its claim. It protects the cultural currency of wearing one’s literary interests by owning the charge of pretension outright. In doing so, it proposes pretentiousness not as a sinister force, but as a catalyst for cultural and intellectual innovation. As a self-professed tote-bag owner, wit clothing littered with markers of what I read, where I buy books, what I watch, maybe even what I eat, I truly have no leg to stand on in discerning what these markers of being well-read could do to the detriment of popular culture, but it is a question I feel one must ask before each purchase, particularly with such lucrative projects as T-shirts, totes and other detritus with printable surfaces. Image courtesy of Dior & Jonathan Anderson

STEM, AN EMERGING FASHION LABEL BASED IN DENMARK’S CAPITAL, UNVEILED ITS FIFTH COLLECTION THROUGH AN INTIMATE PRESENTATION CENTRED AROUND A COMMUNAL FELTING TABLE. ATTENDEES WERE INVITED TO WORK WOOL BY HAND AS THE COLLECTION MOVED THROUGH THE SPACE, AND WE’RE SPREADING THE WORD. Imagery courtesy of Stem STEM AW26: THE ELASTIC LOGIC OF WOOL STEM, AN EMERGING FASHION LABEL BASED IN DENMARK’S CAPITAL, UNVEILED ITS FIFTH COLLECTION THROUGH AN INTIMATE PRESENTATION CENTRED AROUND A COMMUNAL FELTING TABLE. ATTENDEES WERE INVITED TO WORK WOOL BY HAND AS THE COLLECTION MOVED THROUGH THE SPACE, AND WE’RE SPREADING THE WORD. Written by Asthetik Editorial Team Wool lies across the table at Stem’s AW26 presentation in Copenhagen, still raw to the touch. Guests gather close, working the fibre by hand as the brand reveals its fifth collection. Titled To Wool, the offering centres on material and process, allowing wool to guide form through weaving, pleating, and pressure. Set around a long communal table, the presentation unfolds at a deliberate pace. As garments move through the space, the act of making remains visible, grounding the collection in touch and time. Woven rather than knitted, the pieces carry a quiet elasticity shaped by structure alone; a gentle reminder of what can happen when attention replaces excess. Stem’s material experiments began at a small scale, developed through handwoven studies that prioritised patience over speed. This season, parts of that research move into partial industrial production, translating a slow, considered process into a limited run of garments. Elasticity is built directly into the textile through yarn twist and weave tension, giving shape and movement to lines and pleats that feel purposeful rather than imposed. Local wool plays a defining role in the collection. Danish yarn, spun domestically and long overlooked in clothing, becomes a central material after proving unexpectedly strong once twisted and woven. Introduced through the work of a shepherd tending a large flock in Denmark, the fibre finds form in a checked vest and pleated skirt where two brown tones meet. Each shade comes from a different sheep, and together they reveal how structure and elasticity emerge through material choice. The pattern follows the logic of the loom, recording decisions made under tension rather than serving as surface decoration. Colour follows a similar logic. A restrained palette of off-white, deep blue, and brown comes from the availability of deadstock yarns sourced in Italy. Rather than seeking variation through colour, Stem focuses on shifts in weave and density, allowing pattern to move and change across the garment. Checks tighten and release as the structure shifts, while pleating and needle felting shape the surface through repetition and pressure. The result feels measured and precise, grounded in process rather than effect. Accessories extend this logic. Scarves with disrupted checks, belts woven for multiple modes of wear, and pieces that move and flex alongside the body. Nothing feels decorative, but more so, everything is functional and expressive. Garments from past collections enter the brand's dialogue with a new, reinforcing continuity that upholds the artisanal processes over seasonal novelty that many labels of today fall victim to as they grow within the industry. Beyond individual garments, Stem envisions a larger system. Stem Mill, in early-stage development in Denmark, combines production with research and pedagogy. Micro-spinning and agile manufacturing come together to create a laboratory where textiles are observed and played with while being understood from fibre to final product. The mill proposes a future of fashion built from material intelligence rather than abstraction. To Wool resists the spectacle of it all. Its logic is intimate and deliberate. The result is a collection that feels alive, and a quiet demonstration of what attention and patience can yield. Stem’s work considers how clothing can hold time and labour as clearly as it holds form. The hands-on presentation and the use of local wool come together as a quiet investigation into how material behaves when it is given space to lead. In this collection, wool takes an active role in shaping the outcome. To Wool traces the relationship between fibre and body, leaving the process visible in the finished garments. Each piece carries a sense of how it was made, pointing toward a slower, more grounded approach to fashion.

GABRIEL MEALOR-PRITCHARD GIVES HIS THOUGHTS ON EMERGING BRAND, MATIÈRES FÉCALES' SOPHMORE SS26 COLLECTION, "HANNAH". PARIS FASHION WEEK: SS26 RUNWAY MATIÈRES FÉCALES' DYSTOPIA GABRIEL MEALOR-PRITCHARD GIVES HIS THOUGHTS ON EMERGING BRAND, MATIÈRES FÉCALES' SOPHMORE SS26 COLLECTION, "HANNAH". Front Cover Image by Mirella Malaguti If you're a lover of the dystopian and the avant-garde, then Fecal Matter, better known by its francophone moniker Matières Fécales, was absolutely where you should have been during this season’s Paris Fashion Week. Few labels in the current landscape embrace spectacle with such unflinching sincerity, and fewer still manage to do so while holding fast to a philosophy that feels entirely their own. There’s something remarkably refreshing about witnessing a brand so unapologetically produce work that is quintessentially theirs, art that reflects the extremes and beauties their founders exude. Equally refreshing is seeing an emerging label staple themselves onto the Paris Fashion Week schedule with something startlingly new, an offering that feels like a shock to the system in the best possible way. In a sea of polished commercialism, Fecal Matter is a necessary rupture. Courtesy of Matières Fécales I can vividly recall the first time I saw work by Fecal Matter: the full-length skin imitation high heel boots that played tricks on your mind, embodying the post-human aesthetic the brand has become synonymous with. I was in awe. I’d never seen anything like it. To witness their evolution unfold into SS26 has been nothing short of magnificent. As social media personality and fashion commentator iDeserveCouture aptly called it, theirs was the “Met Gala for the outcasts.” Guests arrived in looks that reflected their personalities best; in other words, they came as themselves, unapologetically. Among those in attendance were Michele Lamy, Ashnikko, and FKA Twigs, each bringing their own eccentric flair to the event. The show marked their sophomore runway outing as a namesake brand, with the collection aptly titled after co-founder Hannah Rose herself. Hannah unfolded as a bold interplay between ready-to-wear and couture, anchored by Fecal Matter’s now-signature extreme heels, this time realised in collaboration with Christian Louboutin. The silhouettes evoked otherworldly forms, sculpted to suggest extraterrestrial elegance, while towering headpieces, crafted by milliner Stephen Jones, alluded to regal crowns, fusing alien with aristocratic. Courtesy of Matières Fécales Yet beneath this grandeur lay something darker. The presentation took on the atmosphere of a masquerade: models concealed their features with eye and nose-bridge coverings dyed to match their garments, transforming faces into seamless extensions of the clothing itself. The effect was at once unsettling and mesmerising; an unmistakable hallmark of Fecal Matter’s aesthetic, where discomfort becomes beauty, and beauty, something entirely unfamiliar. For those of you who aren’t aware, the backstory of the brand is that the pair of minds behind this cult label, Hannah Rose and Steven Raj, first met while studying fashion design in Montréal. What began as a creative kinship quickly evolved into something deeper, both personally and professionally. Falling in love, they crafted a brand that mirrors who they are as individuals: refined glamour and extreme individuality. Their work reads like a commitment to reshaping what beauty and fashion identity might look like in a post-digital age. It's clear, Matieres Fecales has not only outdone themselves, but in my opinion, the entirety of PFW along with it. It's getting pretty tedious expecting the same thing time and time again from certain brands. The difference with FM is that they always bring you something new, from their early days back in 2014 when the brand came about, and still to this day, we were wowed yet again. Bon Travail Matières Fécales, vous êtes la nouvelle vague d'innovation de la mode.

EDWARDIAN FINESSE, STREETWISE ENERGY AND FAMILY MEMORIES COME TOGETHER IN DENZILPATRICK’S LATEST COLLECTION, AN IMAGINATIVE COLLAGE OF LONDON MENSWEAR AT ITS FINEST. HARRY NICHOLSON TELLS US WHAT WENT DOWN AT THE BRAND'S AW26 LONDON FASHION WEEK PRESENTATION. Images Courtesy of DenzilPatrick LONDON BELONGS TO DENZILPATRICK EDWARDIAN FINESSE, STREETWISE ENERGY AND FAMILY MEMORIES COME TOGETHER IN DENZILPATRICK’S LATEST COLLECTION, AN IMAGINATIVE COLLAGE OF LONDON MENSWEAR AT ITS FINEST. HARRY NICHOLSON TELLS US WHAT WENT DOWN AT THE BRAND'S AW26 LONDON FASHION WEEK PRESENTATION. Written by Harry Nicholson In the midst of an ever-bustling London Fashion Week, Denzilpatrick quietly marks five years of business with a stand-out, yet poignant Autumn/Winter collection. Daniel Gayle and James Bosley bring it all back home, with a lineup of looks imbued with family memories and the swagger of the city that shaped them. The menswear brand is named after Gayle’s Jamaican and Irish grandfathers, Denzil, a saxophonist, and Patrick, a Navy seaman, two men whose polarising personalities were as bold as their style. Gayle and Bosley have imagined how the pair might dress if they were arriving fresh to London today. The result, ‘London Belongs To Me’, reads as a fusion of bold heritage and modern confidence, as if Bridgerton were to find itself set in Peckham, circa 2026. “It's just obviously how decadent and how special dressing was at that time for everyone across all kinds of lifestyles and people,” Gayle told me. “I think dressing had much more rigour to it and it was of much more importance within society.” That sentiment convincingly informs every look, signalling intention and cultural pride. Tailoring, unsurprisingly, remains Denzilpatrick’s strongest suit as an anchor of the collection. Double-breasted suits are cut with strong shoulders, reworked with safari-style frontal pockets and military buttons that nod to Patrick’s military past. Yet Denzil’s soul is just as present, most vividly in Gayle’s favourite look - a sharp suit rendered in gleaming scarlet Japanese crepe satin. Elsewhere, dandy historical references meet designs seen today. Nylon tailcoats - first seen in AW24 - become the new parka, while detachable bib-fronted shirts featuring elongated cuffs and epaulettes position shirts as a rare statement piece. Edwardian codes, it turns out, emerge as the most inventive element of the collection, offering rich styling choices and structural details that avoid drifting into costume. Each look is complemented with a mix of period knee-high boots and an assortment of PUMA Suedes, a welcome pop of colour that injects a dose of street-level pragmatism into the otherwise dressed proceedings. It’s an unlikely pairing, but the collaboration is a perfect match, articulating the cultural collision London does best. Knitwear, another staple of Denzilpatrick, is a practical counterpoint to the sharp, tailored silhouettes. Showing me a chunky, ribbed Aran sweater, Gayle notes the homage to Patrick: “It's a very much a seafarers-inspired type of knit with chunky half cardigan stitch. They’re reminiscent of those men at sea from another time.” The knitwear forms a foundation for modular styling, layered under tailoring or topped with the detachable bib panels, allowing for an easy shift between formal and relaxed effortlessly. Print plays an interesting part in bridging the eras. Paisleys and tapestry florals have been lifted from lived-in rugs and curtains, then spray-treated onto joggers and shirts. Its a clever bit of translation by using streetwear techniques: recasting historic motifs into the contemporary. The layering of pieces is busy, yet not excessive. A tone-on-tone palette reins in the varied textures, allowing decorative touches - feathers sprouting from the edges of tailcoats or brooches reminiscent of miniature chandeliers - to serve as decadent flourishes. Interrupting what would usually be expected from a winter collection, regency breeches are recast as shorts, coordinating with the proportions of the strong shoulders. Gayle justifies the logic with a relatable personal preference, if nothing else: “Both James and I will try and wear shorts for as long as we possibly can, up until late October when it's just too cold. I mean, shorts can work all year round somewhere, you know?” On this milestone, Denzilpatrick feels more and more assured. The presentation delivers wearable, confident pieces that appeal to streetwear enthusiasts while simultaneously demonstrating a fresh approach. In a menswear landscape dominated by safe, gaudy casualness, Gayle and Bosley are doing something far more interesting: folding their own and London’s layered histories into wearable and confident pieces. If this is the blueprint the pair are drafting for new menswear, London rightfully belongs to Denzilpatrick.

YAKU STAPLETON NEGOTIATES WITH REALITY THROUGH COMBAT IN HIS FOURTH INSTALLMENT AT LONDON FASHION WEEK. ZA SENOI SHARES HER THOUGHTS.  YAKU AW26: READY, PLAYER, FIGHT YAKU STAPLETON NEGOTIATES WITH REALITY THROUGH COMBAT IN HIS FOURTH INSTALLMENT AT LONDON FASHION WEEK. ZA SENOI SHARES HER THOUGHTS. Written by Za Senoi Edited by Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard Photography by Christian Tuckwell Smith “We’re trying to make art that responds to the world rather than simply offering hope, because hope alone doesn't drive change”, read the show notes of Yaku Stapleton's AW26 presentation, Evolution of Combat. This collection acts as an effort to bridge the gap between reality and the role-playing game-inspired narrative that Stapleton has been building since his MA at Central Saint Martins in 2023. Previous iterations of this world have echoed the video game-adjacent sentiment of escape – of offering refuge from the real world through an adventure in a distant land. However, for AW26, the team “realised that limitlessness cannot sensibly produce only positive outcomes.” Each YAKU collection is based around members of the Family, characters created largely based on Stapleton's own relatives. “The story this season focuses on two brothers, the protectors and warriors of the Family. Our research looked into combat; the beauty and discipline that comes with it, but also exploring what happens when the motives behind it change,” Stapleton told Asthetik amid the aftermath of his presentation. The team takes a layered approach to portraying combat, a central aspect for RPGs and, really, video games at large. The show is divided into a four-act structure, following the narrative of warrior Télavani – the inhabitants of the YAKU universe – navigating the challenges of their universe. Though Stapleton has been known to world-build in previous seasons, this collection kicked things up a notch. The universe constructed in the basement of 180 Strand enveloped attendees in a sensorially immersive experience. In the dimly lit hall, stalagmites emerge from the floors urging guests to stay on high alert and watch their step. Around the runway path, Télavani characters frozen in motion: some resting in battle formation, others scaling pillars or sword fighting while hanging from the ceiling. Ominous music floods the space as a faceless, flowing figure draped in black cotton fabric strips walks through, beckoning a disembodied narration that booms through the space. This characteristic directly references RPGs – the game will always guide its player through opportunities and storylines. The narrator then sits back, among the audience, allowing for the first characters to descend upon the runway. The first act's pieces are free-flowing. Ultra-wide trousers and loose t-shirts allow for movement, while airbrushed muscles and 3-D printed Hulk-like gloves signal confrontation. The performers (as they cannot be described uniquely as models) dance as if the Télavani are training for a battle. Stapleton drew heavily on movement inspiration from Caribbean martial arts and the intersection of fight and play. This act's oversized clothes lend themselves to the eagerness in each motion, while simultaneously acting as armour for cartwheeling soldiers. The music quiets, the narrator stands, and Act Two begins. The score becomes more upbeat and whimsical, as do the dancer's movements. Each now carries a weight on their back – whether a recognisably ready-to-wear backpack or a protruding mound concealed by a moss-green cape. In this section, Stapleton also introduces the brand's upcoming collaboration with Nike. The look in question, a full tracksuit in classic grey jersey, brings the collection's visual language starkly back into the real world. “Previously, we worked to balance reality and fantasy within each garment, aiming to hit somewhere in the middle. This season, we experimented with separating them,” the show notes acknowledge. Though it is encouraging to see an industry titan like Nike collaborating with the new generation of designers, this look stood out in its simplicity. In contrast with the dramatic, gathered silhouettes that precede it, the ensemble would benefit from ludic styling elements that incorporate it more seamlessly into the rest of the collection.

SCHIAPARELLI’S HAUTE COUTURE SPRING-SUMMER 2026 COLLECTION REASSERTS THE FASHION HOUSE’S CLEAR COMPETENCE AS A TOP-LEVEL COUTURIER. WESLEY BRAY TALKS US THROUGH THE COLLECTION. DANIEL ROSEBERRY MAKES COUTURE LOOK EASY SCHIAPARELLI’S HAUTE COUTURE SPRING-SUMMER 2026 COLLECTION REASSERTS THE FASHION HOUSE’S CLEAR COMPETENCE AS A TOP-LEVEL COUTURIER. WESLEY BRAY TALKS US THROUGH THE COLLECTION. Written by Wesley Bray Edited by Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard Glamour, extravagance and extraordinary craftsmanship are only a few adjectives to describe Daniel Roseberry’s latest offering for Schiaparelli. The collection truly was nothing short of a spectacle. Titled “The Agony and the Ecstasy”, Schiaparelli’s haute couture spring-summer 2026 collection extends the fashion house’s streak as a must-see during couture week. Cohesion is something Roseberry seems to have mastered. Golden hues, which we have grown to associate with Schiaparelli, were present throughout the collection. These were paired with nudes, oranges, reds, whites, blacks and the occasional pop of blue and green. What stands out most is Rosebery's ability to have a wide-ranging use of silhouettes that somehow come together to paint one uniform picture. Explored in various forms, animals were a clear reference point for this collection. Particularly, birds and reptiles. Feathers, made from bouquets of silk thread, were featured on several looks, showing the lengths to which haute couture can elevate clothing into genuine pieces of art. References to birds extended beyond impressive handmade feather replicas to the use of beaks to create a sense of amour. Elsewhere, the collection featured necklaces and crowns offering bird eggs as an alternative to precious stones. The clothes were villain-like but far from costumey. As one would expect, Roseberry’s approach to dressmaking is highly sculptural. Layers of sheer tulle were a widely used motif in the collection, oftentimes presenting an aura-like amplification of the mood these clothes were conveying. Elsewhere, bas relief design techniques created a sense that these clothes were alive, or serving as a source of life, enabling elements to grow on top of them. Highlights from the collection included what Roseberry described as the ‘scorpion sisters’. For these two looks, jackets transformed into sculptural scorpion stingers, evoking a sense of fear and danger, while simultaneously demanding respect for craftmanship and sheer beauty. The two looks appeared to act in unison, providing a sense of ‘yin and yang’. One jacket is lighter and softer on the eye, while its counterpart is darker and more intimidating. Pieces like these recontextualise Schiaparelli within its roots in surrealism. The models were otherworldly, with animal references blending into human forms, essentially creating a whole new being. There was a sense of mythology present throughout the collection, as well as a world being built for these creatures to exist. Beaks, scales and alligator prints contributed towards the animalic thread seen throughout the collection. An explicit reference to animals was the ‘Isabella Blowfish’, paying homage to the fashion legend, Isabella Blow. Made impressively as a transparent suit, the look acts as a replica of the surface of a blowfish, with spikes not forgotten to be included. The suit has a menacing presence but draws one in to examine further the intense levels of craftsmanship which can be discovered in any of the looks presented. Another standout was a gold beaded gown that had movement that can only be described as a feast for the eyes. Although having a more reserved silhouette than other looks within the collection, the way in which the dress flows emphasised the spectacle that can only be achieved through the devotion of couture. For this collection, Roseberry admitted that he wanted to tap into anger more. Particularly, in a time where anger and frustration seem to flood the world we live in today. “How do I use anger?” he asked himself, and “Where is the joy of creation? Are these two things linked?” Roseberry wanted this collection to focus on feeling and how he felt putting these clothes together. Unlike previous collections, which he described as ‘vigorous and controlled,’ this time, what the clothes looked like came secondary to the feeling of creating them. This concept was inspired by a visit to the Sistine Chapel and Roseberry's engagement with the work of Michelangelo. He credits Michelangelo for allowing viewers to feel art more and tried to adopt that through this collection. A collection like this demands to be felt. With haute couture at Schiaparelli in the hands of Roseberry, he continues to assert the huge importance of this fashion segment. What a pleasure it is to witness excellence shown continuously on the Schiaparelli catwalk. A clear reminder why haute couture needs to be protected.

NAOMI HART LONDON TALKS GEODE-INFUSED SPACE-AGE FUTURISM RIGHT AFTER HER LONDON FASHION WEEK DEBUT. A BEAUTIFUL DEPRESSION: TIFARET TELLS US A STORY GABRIEL MEALOR-PRITCHARD INTERVIEWS TIFARET DESIGNER, CHIYUE, AND FINDS OUT MORE ABOUT HER LONDON FASHION WEEK SHOW IN COLLABORATION WITH FASHION SCOUT. 1/6 IMAGES COURTESY OF CHRIS YATES - @ITSCHRISYATES Protein Studios in Shoreditch housed the collaboration between Fashion Scout and fashion brand Tifaret for their London Fashion Week debut. The studio was filled with photographers, and the attendees waited with anticipation. The lights dimmed, the show began. "When I was driving from my home to my studio, I always see this kind of gloomy sky with big pipes and all the flames are burning, it's like my environment made me have this dream for this show. And now I feel like this dream came true." The creative director of Tifaret, Chiyue, told me in an interview right off the back of her LFW runway, held in conjunction with Fashion Scout. Talking about her garments and their cuts, Chiyue tells me, "I prefer to combine the east with the west. Lots of my clothes have draping and have a very precise proportion, but on the other hand, I prefer to have some Chinese or Asian elements. Flatter pattern making, like my skirt, totally flat... So, when the girls move, lifting their hands, the clothes they are wearing have more of a flow." This 'flow' she speaks of came to the garments effortlessly, as the models walked back and forth. They looked soft and light, truly encapsulating the quintessential essence of the Asian culture, which Chiyue always finds a way to connect her designs to with each collection. The collection presented a mix of tweed and cotton that garnered attention from the audience in their own right. Muted colours dominated the showcase, with splashes of blue and orange adding contrast to the palette. I asked what it meant to her to collaborate with Fashion Scout, an esteemed partner within the industry. Chiyue responded, "Oh, it's very sophisticated, they have supported me for many years and they have discovered a lot of other brilliant designers, and I'm happy that I'm a member!" All we know is that the show was a HIT. The clothes told the story they were destined to, highlighting the beautiful depression Chiyue intended for them to present. The dark, soulless factory backdrops she saw as she was on her way to something she loves so dearly, the beauty of creativity. This contrast brought the clothes to life. Premium Upgrade Required Please upgrade to Premium plan to remove the watermark and access Spotify widget settings

PRESENTED IN FRONT OF ROYALTY AND HELD WITHIN THE BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL'S NEWGEN SPACE, TOLU COKER PRESENTED HER AW26 COLLECTION DURING LONDON FASHION WEEK. IYANUOLUWA OSATIMEHIN. Images Courtesy of 10 Magazine IN SURVIVOR’S REMORSE , TOLU COKER REFLECTS ON ORIGIN THROUGH UNIFORM PRESENTED IN FRONT OF ROYALTY AND HELD WITHIN THE BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL'S NEWGEN SPACE, TOLU COKER PRESENTED HER AW26 COLLECTION DURING LONDON FASHION WEEK. IYANUOLUWA OSATIMEHIN. Written by Iyanuoluwa Osatimehin Edited by Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard Titled Survivor’s Remorse, Tolu Coker’s Autumn/Winter 2026 collection felt deeply personal. Staged in the basement at 180 Strand, the space was transformed into a tribute to her community, lined with murals honouring generations of Black Londoners. The collection opened in stark black tailoring, with sharply structured shoulders, a cinched waist and precise pleating that set the tone. With Little Simz opening the show and HRH King Charles in attendance, the scale of the presentation was clear, yet Coker chose to centre something intimate. Live performances from Little Simz, The Compozers and Ife Ogunjobi moved through the space, bringing music directly into the show. Coker also revealed a collaboration with Topshop, with selected pieces included in the main collection. Drawing from her upbringing and lived experience, she framed social mobility not as guilt, but as reflection. References to 90s London styling grounded the collection in nostalgia, revisiting early memories and environments. Coker explored what it means to move forward while carrying where you come from with you, refusing to separate progress from origin. Survivor’s Remorse read as clarity and celebration, a confident expression of identity shaped by growth. . Tailoring formed the backbone of the collection. Cinched waists, structured shoulders and sharp pleats shaped a silhouette that felt considered rather than decorative. Trench inspired coats split at the waist and cropped jackets drew the eye inward, reinforcing that sense of control. Pleated minis and midis echoed school uniforms, but paired with crisp shirting and tightly knotted ties, they felt elevated rather than nostalgic. Even hooded layers beneath structured outerwear felt deliberate, suggesting movement between different stages of life rather than resistance to them. Corseted shirting sharpened the torso further. The repetition of these elements gave the runway a steady rhythm. Uniform did not feel restrictive; it felt like progression. The silhouettes traced a path from school to work to authority, grounded in lived experience. Where earlier collections addressed migration and social systems more directly, Survivor’s Remorse felt more inward. This time, the story began with her. The mood felt confident. Mustard, deep red, olive, powder blue and black appeared consistently, building a palette that felt cohesive. The red tailored look stood out, as did the dramatic plaid satin coat, yet neither disrupted the overall direction. Plaid and check returned across shirting and ties, while white socks and structured hats nodded to 90s London styling without becoming costume. In previous seasons, Coker addressed migration and wider systems more directly. This time, the starting point is her own experience. The collection looks at growing up, moving through different spaces and what it means to succeed without separating yourself from where you began. Nothing is over-explained. The meaning sits in the cut of a jacket, the line of a waist, the repetition of a tie. By turning inward, the work feels more direct and more assured. There are also subtle shifts. Outerwear carries more volume. The red tailoring holds the room. The plaid satin coat commands attention without overpowering the rest. The silhouettes feel sharper. The repetition feels intentional. It read as a refinement. Coker strengthened what she has already built. What stays with you is the honesty. Coker does not separate where she comes from from the world she now occupies. Council estate spaces, school uniform and memory are not treated as something to outgrow. They sit comfortably within her language as a luxury womenswear designer. There is no attempt to smooth the edges or make the story more palatable. Instead, she lets it exist as it is. The result feels steady and assured, a collection that understands both where it began and where it stands now.

FENNELL FOCUSES ON THE 80S-INSPIRED WEDDING DRESSES, RED LATEX FABRICS, AND THE GLOSSY LOOK THAT DEFIES THE NOVEL'S GRIT. BUT THE DEFIANCE DOES NOT END THERE; THE CASTING CHOICES AND RED-CARPET LOOKS HAVE ONLY ADDED FUEL TO THE FIRE.  SAKSHI PATIL TELLS HER TAKE. EMERALD FENNELL’S REIMAGINING OF “WUTHERING HEIGHTS” FENNELL FOCUSES ON THE 80S-INSPIRED WEDDING DRESSES, RED LATEX FABRICS, AND THE GLOSSY LOOK THAT DEFIES THE NOVEL'S GRIT. BUT THE DEFIANCE DOES NOT END THERE; THE CASTING CHOICES AND RED-CARPET LOOKS HAVE ONLY ADDED FUEL TO THE FIRE. SAKSHI PATIL TELLS HER TAKE. Written by Sakshi Patil Edited by Gabriel Mealor-Pritchard Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is stirring the same kind of controversy that once shadowed Brontë’s novel, unsettling Victorian readers by refusing moral neatness. Audiences are divided over bold casting and fever-dream costumes. So, how much does historical accuracy matter in period dress? Inaccuracy from ignorant research comes across as careless to the audience. But when distortion is deliberate, costume becomes the narrative and a prominent theme of the film. It shifts from replication to interpretation. Jacqueline Durran aimed for that effect. Her costuming for this film is commendable for its wide range of references, spanning from Elizabethan through to Georgian and Victorian eras. Purposely not sticking to one period, to ensure that the anarchism theme fully thrives throughout the film. Among the 50 extravagant costumes made for this movie, there were a few notable ones. Adult Cathy is introduced to us in a German milkmaid dress, blending period silhouettes with traces of Old Hollywood drama, creating a layered visual language that makes a clear stance that this is not a typical replication of the novel. The silhouette of the milkmaid dress is traditionally associated with pastoral and folkloric themes. Yet it is ironic, as Cathy in the book is not all that. Perhaps, Durran’s costume choices were a deliberate act of rebellion rather than an attempt to reconstruct a historically accurate setting. The wedding dress is perhaps the clearest example of this time-bending approach. It fuses Victorian structure with 1950s couture: cinched waists, softened volume, a silhouette that feels both archival and mid-century cinematic. Although not historically precise, white wedding gowns weren’t widespread until after the period Brontë wrote about. Brides usually wore their best dress, often in colour. The dress is a combination of eras into a single, striking costume. The result is a dreamscape aesthetic collision that feels intentional rather than careless. The Telegraph said, "Cathy and Heathcliff's passions vibrate through their dress, their surroundings, and everything else within reach.” So by refusing to sit neatly within one timeline, the costume mirrors the anarchic tone Fennell seeks to evoke. Not all critics were so flattering. Keven Maher from The Times described Robbie as a "Brontë Barbie" and said that Fennell has "doomed Elordi with a fatally shallow characterisation, recasting Heathcliff as pouty man-candy with a shaky Yorkshire accent." Historical accuracy can be a form of respect. For stories rooted in specific cultural or political realities, precision matters. Details can preserve histories that might otherwise be flattened or forgotten. Fennell’s whitewashed casting of Heathcliff, whom Brontë repeatedly describes in racialised terms as dark-skinned and socially othered, alters more than surface appearance. It risks diluting the novel’s engagement with racial ambiguity and class exclusion. Heathcliff’s outsider status is foundational to the sadomasochistic dynamics of power abuse and social hierarchy that drive the story. To neutralise that dimension, casting Elordi reshapes the very structures of race, class and gender oppression that animate it. And it doesn't end there. The controversy continued at the feature's Los Angeles premiere, Margot Robbie wore a historic necklace commissioned by India’s Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife, famously known as the “Taj Mahal” necklace. Yet when asked about the piece, the conversation centred on its association with Elizabeth Taylor, skimming past its layered imperial and colonial history. A jewel with centuries of political and cultural meaning was reframed through Hollywood provenance. Though the fantastical and dream-like costumes have sparked debate, the real critique lies with the casting and neglect of important social themes in the novel, which still resonate today.