Hottest trends spotted at London Fashion Week

Collect metallic textures, shiny multipurpose products and lots and lots of hairspray in the beauty case of course, London Fashion Week is the most exuberant and underground, always brimming with ideas. For even though wet-dyed hair is ubiquitous, a favourite of Brits to ward off frizz due to the constant humid climate, there is once again a return to the two opposing cornerstones of British beauty: ladylike style and punk attitude. With a touch of kawaii fashion in the middle. Here are the three macro trends seen on the Spring/Summer 2024 catwalks.

The woman is ladylike (but modern) again

Sophisticated and au naturel, with opulent earrings and floral textiles, the London woman of the upcoming show season promises a face with a soft underbelly, slightly flushed cheeks and hair styled to the nines. Richard Quinn opts for a maxi braid wrapped in a glossy pulled-back chignon like the ladies used to wear. This is matched by slightly black-rimmed eyes, as if they were dripping with tears. Simone Rocha opts instead for an invisible base tone and visible freckles, beautifully accentuated by hair pulled back with lots of gel. Instead, Erdem only needed a mascara combination, a barely visible red lipstick and a romantic haircut with baby hairs in the wind to highlight his ever-contemporary yet nostalgic woman. Eudon Choi instead gives his models a fleeting wipe of pencil under the eyes. For Paul Costelloe, on the other hand, being posh means having beautifully flushed cheeks, like at a tennis match (but always with the perfect loose side parted crease).

Manga details become urban

Take Ashley Williams' glossy tears, for example. A message that's as contemporary as it's Instagram-worthy, it lives on in the nails with matte finishes and bows. Message: bring out all the masculinity you still have. Floral masks were used by Susan Fang instead of smokey eyes, and Chopova Lowena's braided hair looked like dolls', but kawaii. Closing the show was the queen of Bon Tonne 4.0, Simone Rocha. For her timeless ladylike look, she chose temporary floral tattoos to complement the blush on her cheekbones or to embellish body parts like her calves and back.

A new punk moment reloaded

If there's one thing to like about London Fashion Week, it's that it always breaks the mould. This was evident in Masha Popova's blue-dyed hair, Matty Bovan's metallic-textured smudged eyes and Bora Aksu's over-the-top golden lips. But there were also plenty of softer details, like Noon by Noor's moist cheeks and the barely-there glitter on the faces of the Roksanda models. For hair, the ultimate wet look is David Koma's. Clearly more controversial is the choice of Mowalola, who opted for a make-up look that looks real, like after a car accident. Edward Crutchley's two-tone black and white nails, on the other hand, are beautiful.