SIMONE ROCHA
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images courtesy of SIMONE ROCHA
Simone Rocha proved us this season that she doesn't always need an elaborate narrative to make an impact. Presented inside London's Old Bailey, Spring/Summer 2027 distilled many of the ideas that have defined the designer over the past decade into a collection that felt unexpectedly focused and refreshingly sober — for the typical Simone Rocha, that is.
Rather than relying on overt storytelling, Rocha explored contrasts between delicacy and protection, intimacy and a sense of celebration. Her familiar vocabulary remained intact — voluminous silhouettes, cocoon-like hoods, sculptural florals and slips that appeared gently displaced — but each element felt more considered than before. Billowing taffeta dresses, embroidered lace, shimmering sequins and hand-crafted rose appliqués brought romance, while leather tailoring, practical anoraks and Harrington jackets grounded the collection in everyday wear.
Ballooned dresses floated alongside sharply cut outerwear, sheer lace dissolved into weightier fabrics, and dramatic head coverings transformed familiar Rocha silhouettes into something almost sexy rather than just purely theatrical. Even the collection's softer pastel palette felt calmer, allowing construction and texture to take precedence over embellishment alone.
It wasn't a radical departure, nor did it need to be. It was clear that Rocha worked to refine her own language, stripping away excess without sacrificing her design identity, resulting in a collection that felt lighter, more assured and, perhaps surprisingly, one of her most mature in recent seasons.
ERDEM
review by DEBORAH DRENOFCI
all images courtesy of ERDEM
Erdem's SS27 collection was a genius layering of masculinity and femininity, worn in such a way that each makes space for the other, until the two seem to dissolve into one. The collection holds a quieter kind of boldness, a poise captured through the garments themselves. Crystal-covered bodices are paired with crisp shirts and structured outerwear, scarves left loose and hanging from the shoulders of suit jackets, like something unbuttoned mid-performance. It is in these looks that it becomes most noticeable how masculinity and femininity float around each other, allowing the freedom of simply being without constraint.
The dresses and gowns are spectacular: sheer, sequin-studded pieces, one paired with a cropped knit worn over the bodice like a half-buttoned cardigan. Flowers bloom across the runway. Pops of green, red and purple invite us into a performance, the fringe swinging with each step.
Backstage, creative director Erdem Moralıoğlu explained that the inspiration behind the collection came from Barbette, an American trapeze performer who explored gender fluidity by performing as a woman, revealing his real identity only after the shows, sparking the crowd's excitement each time. It was through Man Ray's photographs of Barbette that Erdem drew inspiration for the crystal-embroidered leotards, bras and underwear, turning gymnast wear into something intricate and considered. Erdem reimagines what Barbette might have worn, translating that idea into a collection that explores the space between performance and identity.
MULBERRY
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images courtesy of MULBERRY
Christopher Kane's first collection for Mulberry marked the beginning of a new chapter for both designer and house. Presented inside the Brutalist Queen Elizabeth II Centre overlooking Parliament Square, Spring/Summer 2027 introduced a cleaner, more considered vision rooted in leather craftsmanship, everyday dressing and subtle references to the brand's heritage.
Rather than arriving with a dramatic overhaul, Kane focused on refining Mulberry's visual language from within. The defining motif came from the iconic Bayswater bag, its distinctive flap closure transformed into sculptural necklines, layered leather panels, stepped hems and graphic cut-outs that linked the collection together. Elsewhere, archival country checks, floral prints and leather outerwear nodded to the house's history, while new handbag silhouettes suggested equal attention had been paid to Mulberry's commercial future.
Those familiar with Kane's own label could still recognise his hand in the sharp leather dresses, precise construction and nuanced interplay between structure and sensuality. Yet this was noticeably more restrained than his previous work, trading experimentation for a wardrobe designed to live beyond the runway. That measured approach occasionally left the collection feeling almost too cautious, but for a first outing it established a clear foundation rather than coming with a bang. Instead of introducing an entirely new Mulberry, Kane began by sharpening what had always been there — and in doing so, laid the groundwork for what feels like a thoughtful long-term direction.
A.V. VATTEV
review by ZEYNEP YENIÇERI
all images courtesy of A.V. VATTEV
A.V. Vattev's Spring/Summer 2027 Collection, Encore, was showcased at 180 Studios during London Fashion Week with a short movie. The collection found its inspiration from the French New Wave movement, as the press release states. The instinctive confidence of Jean-Paul Belmondo, the elegantly dangerous Alain Delon, and the unconventionality of Keith Richards influenced the collection that consists of six looks. A small but rich collection, Encore features looks with such details that it feels much bigger than that.
The tension of opposites can be seen throughout the collection. The Bulgarian label has mastered bringing opposites together, like relaxed knitwear next to a sharp, tailored suit. Formal details like a dress shirt's wing collar are transformed into more casual forms. It's safe to say the collection is one of contrasts. The movie moved between contrasts as well, starting with the main character in a calm setting by the lake, which suddenly transforms into a vibrant club scene, with an increased tempo.
Reimagination is at the core of the Spring/Summer 2027 Collection. Silk ties are reimagined as loose belts, and leather belts as collars. Fabric pieces are sewn to the sides of the shorts, adding another layer of style. The collection nods to the polarity of humans. A.V. Vattev’s character is on both sides of the polarity, and neither. Encore is the in-between.
RORY WILLIAM DOCHERTY
review by ZEYNEP YENIÇERI
Walking into the ballroom of Andaz Hotel in East London, with nothing but a table topped with a radio player, a glass, and a jug of water, one doesn't know what to expect. As models start to walk in, clothes and shoes with tied knots, a recurring motif in Rory William Docherty's collections, give a hint of the theme of his Spring/Summer 2027 collection: What Ties Us Together. For Docherty, that is shared values, mutual respect, a care for craftsmanship, and the collective subconscious.
The designer introduces the tied knot motif in the first look. In some looks the motif is right in your face, like a win hite dress with a huge tied knot as the collar or a straw hat reconstructed as a knot, while others are more subtle, like a small knot on the shoes. Be it a 3D knot or a woven metal one, Docherty's motif is impossible to miss.
Lighter hues dominate the collection. Grey, white, and beige looks in silk and linen feel easy on the eye. There is only one look with pops of colour, a look that features a vibrant blue top and equally vibrant purple trousers, in which the hues feel like they were made for each other.
The collection feels like being by the sea, light and flowing. The finale features models returning to the stage with an added layer, like a light pink trench coat or a jacket, completing the looks in the most seamless way.
MCQUEEN
review by MAREK BARTEK
all images courtesy of MCQUEEN
What exactly does McQueen stand for in 2026? It is a question that has followed the house ever since Lee McQueen's departure, and one that Seán McGirr has yet to answer convincingly. His latest collection brought the brand back to London, drawing on the city's duality of sacred history and rave culture, with references spanning Renaissance art, Savile Row tailoring and the anarchic energy of the underground. On paper, the ingredients promised the kind of tension that once defined McQueen. On the runway, however, they didn’t really fuse into something greater than the sum of their parts.
Sharp tailoring sat alongside distorted eveningwear, sculptural silhouettes and flashes of gothic romance. Leather harnesses, embroidered florals and metallic embellishments nodded towards familiar house codes, while exaggerated shoulders and corseted waists attempted to inject a sense of drama. The horned hairstyles certainly amplified the mood, but they also exposed a broader issue: too often, the sense of that McQueen-esque kind of danger (how could we forget VOSS’s neckpiece that Karen Elson wore) came from the styling rather than the clothes themselves. Individual looks undoubtedly carried impact, yet together they struggled to establish a coherent woman behind the clothes.
That absence of clarity is perhaps the collection's greatest weakness. Lee McQueen's heroine was uncompromising; she was trapped, vulnerable, terrifying, beautiful, grotesque, fragile and powerful simultaneously. Sarah Burton softened her edges without losing her strength, creating a woman who felt romantic, intelligent but still unmistakably McQueen. Under McGirr, that central character remains elusive. The collection referenced the archive, but rarely transformed it into a captivating new vision.
There is no shortage of technical ability or ambition here, and moments of beauty emerged throughout, particularly in the sculptural gowns and precise tailoring. Yet three years into McGirr's tenure, the house still feels caught attempting to honour its legacy by constantly looking back, instead of working to define its future. The McQueen woman is out there, patiently waiting to be immortalised again. It’s time for McGirr to go find her.