LFW Closes With International Buyer Growth, Major British Returns and a New Generation of Talent

London Fashion Week (LFW) September 2026 closes following a season of renewed international and commercial momentum, with accredited buyer attendance up 19% year-on-year and accredited international buyer attendance increasing 41%.

Across five days, London brought together major British fashion houses, global retailers, emerging designers, media and consumers, with 47 catwalk shows, 23 presentations, 10 digital activations and 53 evening events.

The season marked the return of MCQUEEN to the LFW schedule for the first time since 2001; Christopher Kane’s highly anticipated first collection for MULBERRY; the continued global impact of BURBERRY; and the LFW debut of MARKS & SPENCER. Alongside them, a new generation of designers emerged through BFC NEWGEN and FASHION EAST, reinforcing London’s distinctive position as a global home of creative talent.

The impact of LFW also reaches far beyond the fashion industry. Early findings from new research commissioned by the BFC show that 89% of London adults are aware of LFW, more than 80% of 18–24 year olds have engaged with it and engagement amongst Londoners from Global Majority backgrounds stands at 71%.

Laura Weir, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council: “London has always had extraordinary creative power, but this season demonstrated how that creativity translates into cultural and commercial impact. A 41% increase in accredited international buyers matters because designers need customers as well as audiences. To see major British houses choosing London alongside extraordinary emerging talent, retailers opening the industry to consumers, and international buyers discovering businesses they want to take into new markets is exactly what London Fashion Week should do.

What is equally powerful is the reach beyond our industry. When more than 80% of young Londoners are engaging with London Fashion Week, we know this is not simply a trade event. It is part of the cultural identity of this city and, through Fashion Britain, increasingly a national conversation. London’s point of difference is its ability to bring creativity, culture and commerce together – and this week we saw all three.”

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS RETURN TO LONDON

Leading international retailers and buying platforms were represented across the week, strengthening the connection between London’s creative talent and global commercial opportunity.

David Thielebeule, Fashion Director, Bloomingdales: “London was a joy this season. There was a real sense of energy across the week, with the originality, independent thinking and openness to new ideas that continue to set London apart. The BFC understands and champions that spirit so well, and I’m incredibly grateful to Laura and the team for being such generous hosts. Even the sun seemed determined to play along. I left inspired by what I saw and am already looking forward to returning.”

David Dessureault, General Manager of Fashion Business Development, Chalhoub Group: “It was wonderful to be back at London Fashion Week. The energy is definitely there, and I was particularly impressed by the amount of talent and creativity across the week. From a business perspective, I also discovered a lot of exciting brands that are now on our radar, with real potential to bring to Dubai and the wider GCC. It was a very inspiring and productive week, and I’m excited to see how some of these relationships can develop.”

MCQUEEN COMES HOME

One of the season’s most anticipated moments saw MCQUEEN return to the official LFW schedule under Seán McGirr. The homecoming brought one of Britain’s most internationally recognised fashion houses back to the city central to its history and creative identity.

Reflecting on the collection and the city that inspired it, McGirr said: “London always stimulates me. There’s an attitude, there’s a playfulness. People mix things in a ‘wrong’ way. I love the wrongness.” (ELLE)

MULBERRY ENTERS A NEW CHAPTER

Christopher Kane presented his first collection for MULBERRY, bringing together two defining names in British fashion and marking Kane’s return to the LFW schedule. The Guardian described the show as a “swaggering joint comeback”, while the collaboration became one of the most talked-about moments of the week.

BURBERRY CELEBRATES BRITISH HERITAGE

Daniel Lee presented his latest collection for BURBERRY, bringing together the house’s codes of Britishness and its unmistakably London attitude, reinforcing its place at the heart of the city’s fashion identity. The show follows the recent V&A exhibition The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon, which traces the concise history of the Burberry trench coat.

THE NEXT GENERATION COMMANDS ATTENTION

London’s established houses were matched by a new generation of designers building their international reputations. BFC NEWGEN newcomers FRANCESCA LAKE, GUI ROSA and PETRA FAGERSTRÖM joined the programme’s returning designers, while FASHION EAST returned to the official LFW schedule.

Sarah Mower MBE, Chief Critic, Vogue Runway and BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent, described FRANCESCA LAKE’s show as “one of those debuts that take people by surprise”, with the collection living up to its title, Wake the Town.

Together, the season reinforced the role London continues to play in identifying, supporting and launching designers who go on to shape global fashion.

FROM CATWALK TO CUSTOMER

This season also demonstrated the increasingly direct relationship between fashion, retail and consumers.

MARKS & SPENCER made its London Fashion Week debut with its first dedicated catwalk show, using a see-now-buy-now model to bring the runway directly to its customers. Following the show, Maddy Evans, Director of M&S Woman, spoke of what it meant “to have the chance to bring style to the nation, and to engage not only our loyal customers but new ones”.

H&M brought its global fashion platform to London while EBAY continued to champion circular fashion and the role of resale within the industry. Together, these moments demonstrated LFW’s ability to connect designer creativity with major retail platforms and new consumer audiences.

FROM LONDON TO FASHION BRITAIN

The momentum extended beyond the capital through Fashion Britain, the BFC’s new national programme designed to broaden access to fashion and connect the industry with communities across the UK.

More than 1,000 events across the UK formed part of Fashion Britain, extending the cultural conversation around LFW and supporting the BFC’s ambition to make British fashion more accessible nationally.

THE HEADLINES

National and international coverage captured a season defined by established British names returning to London, emerging designers breaking through and renewed energy around the city’s fashion ecosystem:

• “FROM MCQUEEN TO MULBERRY, BRITPOP TO BURBERRY PLAID: THIS SEASON, LONDON IS SO BACK” -Who What Wear

• “LONDON FASHION WEEK IS BACK WITH A BANG” -Grazia

• “WHY ALL EYES IN FASHION ARE BACK ON LONDON” -BBC London

• “LONDON FASHION WEEK REVS UP WITH A LINEUP OF NEW BRANDS AND SOME OLD FAVORITES” -WWD

• “A DYNAMIC MIX OF INNOVATION, HERITAGE AND HIGH-STREET APPEAL” -The Times

• “CHRISTOPHER KANE AND MULBERRY MAKE SWAGGERING JOINT COMEBACK AT LONDON FASHION WEEK” -The Guardian

LONDON FASHION WEEK SEPTEMBER 2026 IN NUMBERS

• +19% accredited buyer attendance LFW year-on-year

• +41% accredited international buyer attendance

• 47 catwalk shows

• 23 presentations

• 10 digital activations

• 53 evening events

• 1,000+ Fashion Britain events across the UK

• 89% of Londoners are aware of LFW*

• 80%+ of 18–24-year-olds have engaged with LFW*

• 71% engagement among Londoners from Global Majority backgrounds*

*Source: Early Privileged Insight from the BOP Report commissioned by the BFC.

The British Fashion Council thanks all partners, suppliers and supporters whose commitment makes LFW possible. Official Partners - Blank Street, Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), eBay, Hu Bing Selects, Lee Kum Kee, Mayor of London, Pandora, The Londoner, TONI&GUY. Official Supporter - Ocean Outdoor.