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Body diversity made a comeback at London Fashion Week thanks to emerging designers like Karoline Vitto and Phoebe English, despite a global, GLP-1 fuelled shift toward ultra-thinness.

Celebrities including Emma Stone, Carey Mulligan and Kerry Washington dared to bare on the Bafta red carpet. Stars descended on London’s Royal Festival Hall for the 79th British Academy Film Awards, with the trend for risque and backless outfits taking centre stage. Emma Stone (James Manning/PA) Stone, who is nominated for best actress for her role in Bugonia, braved the February weather in a daring black dress, featuring a halterneck, a keyhole cut-out and a daring backless design. She paired the risque ensemble with delicate earrings and a loose chignon. Carey Mulligan (James Manning/PA) She wasn’t the only star opting for a backless outfit on the red carpet. Carey Mulligan – who is nominated for best supporting actress for her role in The Ballad Of Wallis Island – wore a navy halterneck dress that was backless save for one thin strap, paired with a relaxed bob hairstyle. Jessie Buckley (James Manning/PA) While Irish actress Jessie Buckley’s outfit doesn’t look immediately daring – the electric blue dress featured a high neckline and bedazzled brooches on the shoulders – it revealed an unexpected scooped back. Buckley – who won the best actress award for her role in Hamnet – paired the vibrant Grecian-style dress with short, wet-look hair. Rose Byrne (Ian West/PA) Rose Byrne, who is nominated for best actress for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, opted for a pale yellow Miu Miu dress. The backless gown featured delicate sequinning on the bodice, thin bedazzled straps and was worn with a sleek updo and statement earrings. Kerry Washington (James Manning/PA) Kerry Washington, perhaps best known for her role in TV series Scandal, wore a daring navy gown to the awards. The Prada dress featured a floral sequinned pattern on the bodice, a voluminous chiffon skirt and a statement backless design. Chase Infiniti (Ian West/PA) Up-and-comer Chase Infiniti, who is nominated for best actress for her role in director Paul Thomas Anderson’s film One Battle After Another, continued her red carpet relationship with luxury French fashion house Louis Vuitton. Infiniti wore a burgundy coloured gown by the brand, featuring a strapless design and a dramatic fishtail. She accessorised the look simply, with a soft updo and chose long diamond earrings instead of a necklace. Erin Doherty (Ian West/PA) Adolescence star Erin Doherty wore an unusual structured look also by Louis Vuitton – a black dress with a statement skirt and low neckline. The shape is reminiscent of the turqoise dress she wore to the Critics Choice Awards in January, showing the actress is unafraid of taking style risks on the red carpet. Renate Reinsve (Ian West/PA) Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve – also up for the leading actress gong for her role in Sentimental Value – bared a daring amount of skin in a Louis Vuitton dress with a geometric cut-out. Emily Watson (Ian West/PA) Emily Watson, who was nominated for best supporting actress for her role as Mary Shakespeare in Hamnet, kept things simple but elegant in a chocolate brown gown with a low boat neckline and matching train. The dress had long sleeves and was accessorised with an relaxed updo and a diamond necklace. Sadie Sink (James Manning/PA) Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, who is set to star in Romeo And Juliet on the West End in March, wore a structured sage backless gown with her red hair left loose. Gugu Mbatha-Raw (James Manning/PA) Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who starred in Doctor Who spin-off The War Between The Land And The Sea, brought some sunshine to the red carpet in a pink sequinned Giorgio Armani gown. The style of the dress was simple, with a deep-V, a form-fitting silhouette and a leg slit. Alicia Vikander (James Manning/PA) Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, perhaps best known for her role as Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider series – also opted for a deep-V neckline. Her pale blue Louis Vuitton gown featured a triangular cutout at the ribs and was fully encrusted in sequins, bringing some texture and interest to the look. Teyana Taylor (James Manning/PA) But not all of the red carpet was dominated with daring designs, with some stars experimenting with more demure fashion choices. Teyana Taylor, who was nominated for best supporting actress for One Battle After Another, flexed her style muscles in a dramatic brown outfit. The coat-style dress featured a high collar that reached past her ears, ruching and a long train. Maggie Gyllenhaal (Ian West/PA) American actress Maggie Gyllenhaal wore a black long-sleeve gown with sparkly detailing on the sleeves, paired with a red lip. Kathryn Hahn (James Manning/PA) While WandaVision star Kathryn Hahn wore a bright all-red look, with all-over ruching, a high neck and long sleeves. Alan Cumming (James Manning/PA) The Bafta red carpet wasn’t short of daring menswear. Alan Cumming, actor and host of The Traitors US, took on hosting duties for the Bafta film awards, and walked the red carpet in a modern take on traditional suiting. Alan Cumming (Ian West/PA) His black overcoat – worn on top of a black shirt and trousers – had a splash of white at the bottom, and was covered in long fringing. The monochromatic outfit had a welcome injection of colour thanks to dyed pink, blue and white coloured curls in his gelled-down hair, and was completed with a statement brooch instead of a tie. Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams (Ian West/PA) Irish star Paul Mescal, who was nominated for best actor for his role in Hamnet, wore loose-fitting black suit with a simple white shirt underneath, accompanied by partner Gracie Abrams. Timothee Chalamet (James Manning/PA) Meanwhile, Timothee Chalamet – known for being a daring dresser – kept things simple with a loose-fitting all black tuxedo. Riz Ahmed (James Manning/PA) Riz Ahmed, who has just starred in a contemporary South Asian take on Hamlet, wore a double-breasted pinstriped suit with flared trousers and no shirt underneath.

Richard Quinn delivered a characteristically dramatic showcase for autumn/winter 2026 at Sinfonia Smith Square Hall in London, cementing his reputation as one of London Fashion Week’s most glamorous designers. The south London-born creative, who honed his craft at Christian Dior and on Savile Row before launching his label in 2017, has become synonymous with bold florals and sculptural, statement eveningwear. Presented against a stark black-and-white geometric runway, this autumn/winter 2026 collection unfolded with Quinn’s signature florals alongside more sculpted silhouettes and highly engineered styling. The sculpted hourglass was a standout trend at Richard Quinn (Jeff Moore/PA) Backstage, models stood enveloped in sweeping, structured gowns. The grandeur of the concert hall amplified the collection’s theatrical styling, underscoring Quinn’s affinity for dramatic, old-school couture. Corsetry and hour-glass peplums emerged as the central trend. Strapless bodices were tightly structured and often accented with oversized crystal brooches at the neckline or waist – a detail repeated throughout the show and on other runways this season. Backstage it was clear that sculpted waists were big (Jeff Moore/PA) One ivory lace corset dress was capped with a delicate black lace bolero and cinched at both bust and hip with jewel embellishments before exploding into a tiered black tulle fishtail. The contrast between rigid bodice and frothy volume reinforced the return of hyper-defined hourglass dressing. Overskirts were another major statement. A polka-dot strapless column dress was partially concealed beneath a sweeping black satin overskirt that opened at the front, revealing the fitted silhouette underneath. The layered look created movement without sacrificing structure suggesting that detachable or sculptural overskirts could become a key red-carpet styling device for AW26. Conversely to other runways this season, mermaid hems dominated. Mermaid silhouettes were also key for Quinn (Jeff Moore/PA) Nearly every gown flared dramatically below the knee, creating elongated, statuesque proportions. After several seasons of looser tailoring across London, Quinn’s insistence on body-conscious shaping feels like a deliberate reaction. Florals, Quinn’s signature, appeared in two directions. Dense, dark blooms were scattered across black gowns, winterised and controlled. In contrast, pale lemon and white floral accents of embellishment also introduced soft romanticism. Quinn also introduced embellished florals (Jeff Moore/PA) Feathers also signalled a continued trend that has been spotted on almost every London Fashion Week runway. A sheer, high-neck illusion gown embroidered with delicate leaf motifs dissolved into dramatic black feathered cuffs and a matching feathered hemline. The payoff was both ethereal and theatrical as texture was concentrated at the extremities rather than overwhelming the silhouette. Quinn’s interpretation of the feather trend felt particularly couture-driven. Velvet remained a dominant finish. Black velvet gloves were ubiquitous, paired with velvet bodices and floor-length skirts that absorbed the stark light of the white runway. The matte-versus-shine contrast amplified the drama of the look. Velvet was used liberally (Jeff Moore/PA) Colour, though mainly monochromatic, had moments of vibrant impact. Powder pink corsetry, acid yellow gowns and mint satin skirts punctuated the largely black and white palette. These confectionary tones; particularly offset by black; suggest that icy pastels will continue into autumn/winter rather than being reserved for spring. Hot pink has also been a trend on the runways (Jeff Moore/PA) The repetition of crystal brooches – fastening halters, cinching waists and anchoring bows – introduced an accessory trend that has already prevailed in the past two months. Jewellery wasn’t layered; it was integrated into the garment construction itself, reinforcing this precise and more couture sensibility. Since establishing his label in 2017, and following his presentation of the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in 2018, Quinn has consistently championed structured eveningwear. Designer Richard Quinn taking a bow after his AW26 show (Jeff Moore/PA) Sculpted corsets, dramatic fishtails, statement overskirts and winter florals signalled a return to structured femininity, echoing the 1940s and Fifties silhouettes of Dior’s ‘New Look’. Rather than merely nodding to that era, Quinn amplified it with fierce intensity.

Following on from last year’s £100 million share buyback programme, JD Sports Fashion has announced it intends to return a further £200 million of capital to shareholders through share buybacks in its full financial year of 2026/27. In line with JD’s capital allocation priorities and its commitment to continue delivering significant cash returns to shareholders, the programme will commence immediately and initially involve the purchase of ordinary shares of £0.0005 each in the company. The company has entered an “irrevocable agreement” with Merrill Lynch International (BofA Securities) to undertake the programme on its behalf. The maximum number of shares that may be acquired under the programme, as authorised by shareholders at the company’s 2025 annual general meeting on 2 July 2025, is 515,475,677. Last month, JD Sports reported “resilient” trading over the peak Christmas period, delivering Q4 sales growth of 1.4% and said it expects full-year profit to be “in line with market expectations”. Covering the nine weeks to 3 January 2026, the retailer said like-for-like sales declined 1.8%, broadly unchanged from the third quarter. The group’s performance was underpinned by a return to growth in North America, its largest market, where like-for-like sales rose 1.5%, improving markedly on Q3. That strength was partially offset by weaker trends in Europe and the UK, where consumer demand softened in early December.

During fashion month, collections are typically experienced through observing runways – the sweep of a silhouette, the glint of embellishment under lights, the choreography of models moving in sync with a soundtrack. But at Chet Lo’s latest show, the experience began long before the first look stepped onto the runway – and it began with touch. Before the runway show, blind and low-vision guests were invited to take part in a “touch tour”, part of the Hair & Care programme founded in 2019 by hairstylist Anna Cofone. Each guest was able to feel a piece from the collection and talked through it by Lo himself. The fabrics ranged from black and emerald green spiked knits to ostentatious, feather-fluted materials. Founder Anna Cofone at the touch tour (Madoka Takei/PA) For Cofone, who has worked with artists including Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey and grew up with a blind father, expanding into fashion accessibility felt inevitable. “We’ve been seeing first-hand the impact that self care, hair, and accessible hair and beauty has on blind people’s confidence, on their sense of empowerment, identity,” she says, “and so it just felt like an organic step to then also bring help to bringing fashion to the forefront, making it accessible for blind and low-vision people.” The initiative first partnered with Lo in 2024 and is now three seasons into its collaboration. This time, it was supported by global brands including Philips Sound for the blind attendees’ headphones and haircare brand Authentic Beauty Concept. For Cofone, this is evidence that the industry is slowly shifting. “Companies are realising that they need to be inclusive and they need to be accessible for blind and low-vision people,” she says. The concept behind the touch tour is simple: allow guests to experience garments through texture and storytelling before they are presented visually on the runway. “So the idea of the touch tour is to give guests an opportunity to meet the designer in person, but most importantly, feel the key pieces in the collection up close,” Cofone explains. “It helps to paint a much stronger visual interpretation for them as they’re listening to the audio descriptions whilst the models are on the catwalk.” A guest feeling the tactile umbrellas from Chet Lo’s autumn/winter 2026 collection (Madoka Takei/PA) Lo’s work – known for its sculptural silhouettes and three-dimensional spiked knits – lends itself naturally to tactile exploration. Audio descriptions were prepared more than a week in advance, with the running order confirmed the night before the show to ensure seamless alignment. For visually impaired attendee and activist Catrin Pugh, the impact is profound. “Fashion for me has always been something that’s felt a bit out of reach,” she says. “As a visually impaired person, I have no central vision. I can’t see detail. So actually, fashion is really hard to be engaged in, because the detail is everything in fashion.” Guests feeling a feathered, spiky dress by Chet Lo (Madoka Takei/PA) The touch tour changed that. “Coming to the touch tour meant I had an opportunity to see all these tiny elements that these designers spend hours, weeks, days, months, years, deciding on to become their own personal brand. “I got an opportunity to see it, to feel it, and it just made such a difference that when I then saw those looks coming down a runway, I felt I still got to be part of it. And that’s not something I’ve ever felt before in fashion.” Texture, she says, is central to Lo’s appeal. “So much of his brand and who he is is all about textures. It’s about creating shapes, about creating these unusual silhouettes and using shapes coming off the garments to actually express that,” she says. Catrin Pugh (left) at the touch tour (Madoka Takei/PA) “Chet’s work is so tactile, so for a visually impaired person, it’s like the perfect collaboration.” One piece that stood out in particular was a pair of trousers. “[It] sounds super simple, but when he went into the delicacies and the intricacies of it, they are silk trousers with a felt embed at the top. “That juxtaposition between the more coarse felt and the silk when it’s a tactile thing, is so important, because it does tell a story in one piece of clothing,” she explains. Chet Lo presenting one of his pieces to blind and low-vision guests (Madoka Takei/PA) While conversations around inclusive casting have gained momentum in recent years, accessibility for audiences has often lagged behind. Initiatives like Hair & Care suggest that meaningful inclusion goes beyond who is seen on the runway. “Anyone that has a disability, I think always feels excluded from all areas of life, but fashion in particular can be so difficult to feel included in when you are visually impaired, because it’s so much about how it looks – that is what fashion is,” Pugh says. For Cofone, the argument is not only social but commercial for brands. “We’re seeing the impact that it’s having on people, but also on designers,” she says. “The purple pound is so strong and so there, as well as making people feel included and having accessible websites, accessible runway shows, packaging, it’s also helping to build stronger revenue streams.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by @makingfashionaccessible With around 25% of the UK population reported having a disability in 2023/24, accessibility is increasingly difficult for brands to ignore. As the lights dimmed and the first look stepped onto the runway, guests who had already felt the fabrics and heard the story behind the collection experienced the show differently – not as observers on the margins, but as participants. For some, that shift is everything. “The touch tour means that I do get excited about it,” Pugh says, “I get to feel like I’m part of it.”

Masha Popova bared all for autumn/winter 2026, sending out backless silhouettes, ultra-low rises and abbreviated hot pants beneath the stately ceilings of Charterhouse in one of London Fashion Week’s most provocative shows. Titled “Intimate Hours”, the collection explored the bedroom as a psychological space – a place where desire, boredom and memory quietly accumulate. Masha Popova reworked the idea of nightwear as outerwear (Ian West/PA) That introspection played out in garments that felt simultaneously private and performative, with lingerie accents, sleepwear details and distressed denim colliding against the historic grandeur of the venue’s green-panelled walls and oil portraits. The Ukrainian-born London-based designer, known for her high-fashion denim, presented a smorgasbord of colours, cuts and textures, one of the first being a sheer-legged look in a fluid green-and-blue printed set: a halter top knotted into an exaggerated bow at the neck and paired with ruffled micro shorts worn over fine black tights. Slouched boots pooled around the ankles, fortifying the undone atmosphere. A green and blue two-piece set on the Masha Popova runway (Ian West/PA) Hot pants were a recurring motif – a trend that seems to be cropping up across London Fashion Week runways. A blush-pink knit cardigan and matching shorts, belted low on the hips, were styled with voluminous, flame-bright hair feeling deliberately unruly. Hot pants and hot pink were trends on the runway (Ian West/PA) Denim – Popova’s signature – was pushed into more tailored territory. One look featured a halter-style denim top tied into a large bow across the chest, cut away at the midriff and paired with low-slung jeans secured by crossed leather belts that wrapped diagonally around the hips. Leaf motifs were embedded into the denim surface, hinting at the designer’s ongoing experimentation with treated fabrics. Denim was reworked into a variety of silhouettes (Ian West/PA) In another, a corset-like denim bodice with off-the-shoulder sleeves and visible red topstitching was worn with dramatically flared jeans that pooled at the floor. The silhouette combined architectural details with a grungy sensuality, reflecting Popova’s background in architecture and her ability to manipulate rigid fabrics into fluid forms. Denim was fashioned into eveningwear (Ian West/PA) Sleepwear references were literal at times. A full-length hot-pink robe coat, plush and enveloping, was styled for the runway rather than the bedroom, its exaggerated collar and belted waist elevating the domestic into statement outerwear. The gown also featured an open back exposing the model’s underwear. A hot pink bathrobe-dress was one of the closing looks (Ian West/PA) Elsewhere, jersey was treated into near paper-thin layers, and knitwear – a newer addition to Popova’s vocabulary – appeared embossed and tactile. Popova, a Central Saint Martins BA and MA graduate who previously interned at Maison Margiela and Celine, has built her brand as a melting pot of late 20th century high fashion and 1990s-2000s rawness. Seen on Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Bella Hadid, her work consistently combines elegance and irreverence.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by MASHA POPOVA (@mashapopovap) At Charterhouse, that tension felt particularly potent; the grandeur of the setting underscored the collection’s themes of privacy and exposure; bottoms revealed beneath structured dresses, sheer tights layered under abbreviated silhouettes and denim reworked into eveningwear. It seems for this collection, Popova’s woman is neither fully dressed nor fully undone. Instead, she occupies the liminal state between self-awareness and defiant display.