The trends we spotted at London Fashion Week SS26

With London Fashion Week drawing to a close, we’ve reached the midway point of the biannual fashion month marathon. As the industry shifts its gaze to Milan, it’s worth pausing to consider what the London shows signalled. If Old Blighty has its say, now is the time to shelve your stilettos in favour of flats and to perfect your crochet purl stitch—both set to dominate spring/summer '26.

Related: The 7 trends we spotted at New York Fashion Week SS26

Of course, not every runway statement screams for attention. Some whispers prove more enduring than shouts. Enter Vogue Scandinavia’s editor-in-chief, Martina Bonnier, to separate the lasting trends from the fleeting. From a cascade of tassels to a renewed focus on hips, here are the trends set to quietly shape our wardrobes in 2026.

Whimsical and wild, tassels have been teasing a return for some time. Once relegated to bag charms, this playful detail is now swinging back into the spotlight. In the AW25 collections of Chloé and Balmain, jewellery was overtaken by tassels – dangling from earrings and necklaces with carefree flair. But in London, the trend went a step further, weaving its way onto clothing and transforming blazers, tops and skirts alike.

Conner Ives kept things restrained yet charming, fastening golden hoop necklaces with tassels that danced at every step. At Ahluwalia, burgundy strands peeked from beneath blazer lapels, injecting whimsy into sharp tailoring. Edeline Lee took a more delicate approach, letting tassels trickle from shoulders and hips to enhance her silhouettes’ fluidity. At the other end of the spectrum, Roksanda went full-blown maximalist: leather and felt strands built into bold textures and movement, culminating in a finale of tri-colour tresses that dominated the finale.

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Hips took centre stage at London Fashion Week. While recent seasons have spotlighted the bust – think Dolce & Gabbana’s revival of the cone bra – for SS26, London shifted its gaze downward. This season, it’s all about the hip.

Exaggerated silhouettes swept the runways, with Simone Rocha infusing the trend with her signature romanticism. Erdem took a more architectural route, sculpting hips into structured curves that defined gowns, each finishing with a sharp, deliberate edge for maximum drama. Meanwhile, Roksanda and Pauline Dujancourt offered softer interpretations, layering lace, tulle and gossamer-light knits to gently expand the silhouette, exaggerating with elegance rather than force.

Ruffled high at the neckline, the Victorian-inspired collar made a dramatic return on the runways of London Fashion Week, most notably at Erdem and Edeline Lee. Cinched, tiered and often edged in delicate lace or sculpted pleats, these elaborate collars evoked old-world romance while remaining resolutely modern in execution.

At Erdem, high-neck ruffles lent a regal, poetic quality to flowing silhouettes, underscoring the designer’s signature dialogue between history and contemporary elegance. Edeline Lee, meanwhile, approached the trend with architectural precision, pairing the collar with sculptural tailoring that conveyed both strength and sophistication.

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Is it curtains or clothing? That was the question reverberating through London Fashion Week, as designer after designer unveiled looks seemingly spun from repurposed upholstery.

At Burberry, the effect was crisp yet playful – tailored jackets in tapestry-like fabrics layered over sumptuous tones, giving a fresh twist to classic silhouettes. Mithridate and Erdem leaned into the elegance, reimagining interior textiles as sweeping gowns that dissolved the boundary between fashion and furnishing. Chapova Lowena, meanwhile, true to her subversive streak, pushed the aesthetic to its edge with aggressively frayed, deconstructed fabrics that injected raw grit into the ornate.

Bye-bye butter yellow. For SS26, it's mustard that is taking centre stage. Rich, warm, and just unexpected enough to feel fresh, this deep golden hue injected a sense of optimism into the season's collections. While traditionally associated with autumn, mustrad proved its versatility, casting a sun-drenched glow over runways and offering a welcome antidote to the grey London skies.

At Burberry, mustard found a neutral home, seamlessly woven into the brand's outerwear. Raincoats, structured blazers, and even casual tees featured the shade, often paired with classic checks or other earthy tones, reinforcing the brand's heritage palette with a seasonal twist. Bora Aksu and Tove took a more focused approach, offering monochromatic mustard moments that stood out for their confidence and clarity. Meanwhile, Toga played with the colour's spectrum, blending mustard with paler and brighter yellows in a refined ombre that brought depth and fluidity to the collection.

Crocodile-printed leather slithered into the spotlight at London Fashion Week this season, emerging as a standout textile trend. No longer confined to accessories or outerwear, the textured motif took over full ensembles – transforming minimalist cuts into bold, tactile statements.

At Tove, croc print was reimagined with a delicate touch. Rendered in duck-egg blue and soft beige, the pattern softened the typically rigid texture, lending a subtle elegance to the brand’s understated silhouettes. Over at Mithridate, the approach was bolder: the print was magnified and smoothed over sharp-shouldered blazers, adding an unexpected edge to an otherwise preppy, structured collection. Meanwhile, Roksanda embraced maximalism with her signature flair. The croc texture was used to amplify already exaggerated silhouettes, heightening the drama and pushing proportions even further into the realm of high-concept fashion.

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This season, London made one thing clear: playing it safe was not on the agenda. In a sea of sleek monochrome moments, designers boldly broke the mould, embracing a riot of pattern and print with fearless creativity. Mixing, clashing, and layering to their hearts’ content, brands pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling.

Jawara Alleyne led the charge with a bold take on pattern-on-pattern, layering stripes upon stripes in unexpected directions. The result? A rebellious twist on preppy streetwear that felt fresh, edgy, and distinctly urban. Emilia Wickstead and Erdem leaned into a more romantic narrative, doubling down on florals—florals on florals in fact – creating lush, dreamlike textures that whispered of English gardens and vintage wallpaper. Meanwhile, Nanushka took a more contemporary route, fusing animal print with floral motifs in an organic yet directional manner, blurring the lines between the natural and the abstract.