London Fashion Week 2026 has been less about the catwalk and more about what's being worn on the sidewalk. So we went looking for answers, catching up with a cross-section of Londoners during F/W 26/27 - from Australia to California, students to seasoned fashion industry veterans. It's a lineup that says as much about London fashion as anything they were wearing, in a city home to one of the most diverse fashion scenes in the world.
Their answers wove together punk heritage, Shoreditch's layered subcultures, thrift-shop treasure hunts and niche designer name-drops, the real texture of London style. As the seasons turn and the UK's brutal winter closes in, we wanted to know what's staying and what's going for the season ahead. Hint: the Scottish figured it out a long time ago.
What Makes London Fashion Unique?
For Tyler and Guy, it comes down to heritage, specifically, the punk lineage that runs through East London.
“There's a lot of history of people trying new things, breaking the norms,” Tyler said, pointing to Vivienne Westwood and the Sex Pistols as the moment London style stopped asking permission. Guy agreed, describing Shoreditch as a place where every subculture collides at once: “You've got the street style, you've got the vintage, you've got a bit of everything.”
Tyler followed:
“I even see people in nineteen twenties outfits rocking it and it looks good. You wouldn't get that anywhere else really — maybe New York.”
Amaan and Sophia made a point to London's acceptance, and to freedom of expression as the real defining trait.
“Everyone's just so free,” Sophia said, “and they express themselves.”
Pictured: Sophia (Left) Guy & Tyler (Right)
Autumn Pieces They're Excited to Wear
Kilts are having their moment here too.
“I love Scotland...it holds a special place in my heart, so when it's kilt season I am extra excited,”
Sophia told us.
Ron and Hailey will be hitting the thrift shops on the hunt for texture - leather, fur, boot-cut flares and low-rise skinny jeans, with Ron adding an unexpected accessory: “Skinny scarf and sunglasses in winter.”
On a similar wavelength, Guy is easing into the colder months with a vintage-heavy wardrobe and a new chocolate-brown wool coat from YMC. And then there's Stephen, whose answer doubled as a campaign tagline:
“A lovely little Burberry trench that billows in the autumn wind.”
Audrey, from LA, is simply looking forward to any excuse to wear coats: “I love layers.”
Destiny, on the contrary, expressed her distaste for coats and how they naturally hide an outfit underneath: “I think I prefer wearing colour more in winter compared to summer because... the clothes that you wear... it's always hidden by jackets, which I hate. I hate jackets.”
Pictured: Audrey (Left) Destiny & Amaan (Right)
Fashion Hot Takes
This is where things get interesting. Tyler reaffirmed kilts as an item here to stay in contemporary street fashion: “Kilts are always sick. They're always in fashion.”
You've heard the saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Well deliberately broken and damaged clothes have been having their moment, and Guy can't get on board: “So worn and so distressed it literally looks like it's about to disintegrate,” he said, with Tyler backing him up after spotting muddy t-shirts selling for a hundred pounds in a shop that same day.
Destiny defended skinny jeans against the discourse, tracing her love of indie sleaze back to her mum's era, while Amaan took aim at footwear: “Flip flops are a bit overrated... you should just wear sliders instead.”
And Stephen closed the segment with a verdict on Y2K nostalgia that left no room for debate:
“Y2K is now like a vintage era, I have to say, because I grew up in the so-called Y2K. It's not something that should be solidified as a genre to me — it's a bit nondescript... Y2K should be burned to the ground. That's my hot take.”
Pictured: Stephen (Left) Hailey (Right)
What's Missing From Fashion?
Jojo wants to see more environmental consciousness and a continued push against gender stereotypes in clothing: “I think I want to see more about environmental protection, like concept expression and also anti gender stereotypes... which is...growing more and more, but I still quite looking forward to it.”
Luke had an ask that wasn't for more of anything... It's for less judgement, and it's the one worth sitting with:
“I feel like there's still too much uniform in the way people dress. People are limiting themselves too much because they don't want to be judged — but that's on the hands of the people who are judging, to be honest.”
Ron and Hailey commented on London's tendency to fall victim to trend cycles rather than individual fashion instinct:
“I also feel like London is quite trendy,” Hailey admitted, “people hop on the trends a lot and when they change, they hop on those. So I feel like you see a lot of the same things on people.”
Pictured: Luke & Jojo (Left) Ron (Right)
Which Brands To Keep Your Eye On
No street style conversation in London is complete without a name-drop or ten. From East London-based labels to Vinted vintage finds to designer friend shoutouts, here's what our crowd is currently obsessed with:
- SCRT — Hackney-based, East London–designed. Recommended by Guy.
- The Jerk Store & The Goose Vines — vintage collections on Hackney Road.
- Karen Millen Vintage — Hailey's go-to search on Vinted.
- New Rock — Ron's pick.
- Yohji Yamamoto — a shared favourite of Luke and Jojo.
- Marie Lueder — recommended by Luke.
- áine (madebyaine) — Amaan's friend's denim label.
- Chopova Lowena and Gem Daddy Slim — Sophia's two favourites, the latter her sister's brand.
- Sacai and Kapital — Audrey's Japanese label picks.
- Fantastic Toiles — queer East London designers, punky and avant-garde, per Stephen.
If there's one thing this season's street style crowd made clear, it's that London fashion is beautifully open-minded and multifaceted. It borrows from punk history and thrift shop finds in equal measure, argues with itself over trends and takes cues from a dozen different cities and cultures all at once, and somehow, that contradiction is exactly what makes it work. As the temperature drops and the coats, fur and kilts come out, one thing's for certain: London won't be dressing for anyone's approval but its own. And as said perfectly by our group, the only trend worth chasing this winter is less judgement, and more people simply wearing what makes them feel good.