It was Samuel Johnson who said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. While I have it on good authority that London Fashion Week played no role in him forming this opinion, I have no doubt that the city’s bi-annual style extravaganza would have consolidated his belief further. Notoriously full of new talent and even newer ideas, the British capital’s fun and optimistic display of emerging trends and evolving concepts is always marvellous. And when you’re tired of this, you’re tired of fashion. 

It was an honour to once again attend LFW, and Spring/Spring 2025 marked 40 years of the event so there was a certain excitement in the air that felt infectious. From the return of the mini dress and a fresh take on utility style, to sheer and mesh fabrics creating Goddess-worthy statements. Let’s break down the seven key trends to know (and shop) now.

Few items of clothing have the staying power to endure in the fashion zeitgeist for over half a century. So when you have a truly iconic style like the mini dress, we all know it’s only a matter of time before it pops up on the runways again. Skirts and dresses of the mini variation were everywhere at LFW. From babydoll frocks at Emilia Wickstead and Richard Quinn, to Paul Costelloe’s A-line mini dresses channelling ‘60s Jackie O and the stampede of brightly-coloured thigh-skimming options on the runway at JW Anderson. 

I also loved Anderson’s chunky knitted variation (not exactly a must for summer but it will prove a nice switch up for transitional style throughout early spring). Plus, the designer’s circular disc mini skirts that seemed to fan out like the much-loved skater skirts of the 2010s (a personal favourite of mine and I for one am gladly welcoming their revival).

There have been rumblings of the infamous dress-over-trousers trend returning to fashion for a while now, with celebrities like Katie Holmes and Emily Ratajkowski leading the way. But this dreaded return of the Y2K styling phenomenon may have been a little hasty. For SS25, London approached this trend in an altogether smarter way. At Roksanda, knee-length underlays of fabric were added to the bottom of blazers. TOVE incorporated longline shirts into tailored looks and paired relaxed pop-over shirt dresses with trousers. It’s certainly a more palatable take on the style, and one I have a sneaky feeling could prove an unlikely breakout trend.

We are not near anywhere done with sheer for this season (and I suspect beyond). It was mesh madness at the London shows, with the see-through material being used aplenty. An enlarged white floral embellishment on a black mini dress at Nensi Dojaka (we’re not done with monochrome either), and a minimalist approach at TOVE in the form of a simple black sleeveless mesh maxi. At 16Arlington, a sheer top was paired with a sparkly mini skirt to make it party approved. 

READ: 7 TRENDS TO KNOW FROM COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK SS25

We saw the Goddess arrive at NYFW this season. Looking divine and without a care in the world. But now she’s branching out. Generally in London we saw a less literal take on the Goddess dressing aesthetic. There were, of course, still floaty longline silhouettes, along with sheer and silky fabrics but the approach had a focus on wearability. Think midi dresses draped asymmetrically and floaty elbow-length sleeves that gave a softly commanding aura at Roksanda and 16Arlington. Plus at TOVE, a satin-looking maxi dress was made a little more casual paired with an oversized knitted vest. 

It feels like cutouts have been a mainstay on the runway for a while now, but this season they felt altogether edgier. KNWLS’s zip-up tops with slits on either side to expose the hips, and collarbone and waist cutouts on tailored styles at Ahluwalia and Roksanda. This was cutouts done differently, not just on going-out dresses.

A ‘50s-style puffy poodle skirt is an iconic look in fashion’s historical archives. But this season at LFW, it was no longer relegated to fancy dress. Making a bold appearance on the runway at Roksanda, the fanciful vintage silhouette was shown with mesh layers underneath for added pouf, statement bow details and excess gathers of fabric, plus feathery and tassel trimmed iterations for added statement factor. Things were a little more subtle over at Emilia Wickstead, with low and drop waist iterations appearing in floral prints and as part of simple monochrome looks. Super easy to style and a fun move on from fashion’s current love affair with midi skirts.

There’s always room for practicality in your wardrobe so it’s no wonder that designers choose to bank on utility dressing again and again. The iconic Burberry trench coat and military-inspired jackets made an appearance at Burberry, plus traditional military features like buckles, shoulder straps and sections of fabric resembling storm flaps gave a utility feel to simple dresses. At 16Arlington, the take on utility style felt a little more sexy. Black, brown and sandy coloured jackets with buttons starting at the waist to reveal exposed bralettes in matching hues, worn with rolled up sleeves and collars, alongside simple straight-leg trousers or sparkly micro shorts. 

And so the 40th year of LFW is officially over. There was no shortage of trends to start incorporating into your wardrobe ASAP and a lot of fashion for thought for the season ahead. Which SS25 trend is your favourite?

READ MORE FASHION WEEK CONTENT:

LFW OUTFIT DIARY

7 TRENDS TO KNOW FROM NYFW SS25

NYFW OUTFIT DIARY

MY 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM MICHAEL KORS SS25

7 TRENDS TO KNOW FROM COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK SS25

xoxo, Tamara