LFW SS27: British Fashion Finds a New Kind of Fan

Overview

In partnership with Karla Otto, we analyze London Fashion Week SS27 to uncover the key trends, cultural shifts, and brand performance metrics shaping the season.

London Fashion Week saw a dip in overall posts YoY (-57%), resulting in a lower Earned Media Value (EMV) of $27.3 million (-24% YoY), according to Lefty data. Part of the drop comes from a broader behavioural trend where people are posting less online. In an age of content overload, there is cachet in staying quiet, leaving only those who were there in person to know you were there.

Rather than solely relying on star power for visibility, the British Fashion Council asserted London's cultural power on its own terms. Following a strong social commentator programme last season, the BFC continued to lean into New Media by appointing local voice Chani Ra as its official Reporter-at-Large and by screening episodes of Bella Freud’s Fashion Neurosis. 

Burberry Generates 40% of London’s EMV

Burberry retained its #1 brand positioning in London thanks to a well-curated front row comprising APAC idols, Twitch streamers, Chinese snooker champions, alongside local talents tuned into Britain’s cultural scene – and a buzzy walk by London rapper Central Cee. Elsewhere in the brand rankings, runway stunts drove conversations, from Di Petsa’s finale with Leigh-Anne Pinnock to Katie Price walking for Natasha Zinko, contributing to +185% and +516% EMV growth YoY respectively. 

Ahluwalia SS27 via Spotlight

The Power of Made in Britain

According to BoF’s State of Fashion 2026, ‘Higher product quality & craftsmanship’ is the #1 purchase driver for UK consumers. In this context, leading brands doubled down on the human skill and artistry that make their collections come to life.

Burberry, known for celebrating its British heritage, collaborated with renowned English textile designer Celia Birtwell. Meanwhile, Alexander McQueen, which came back to LFW after 25 years, staged a love letter to London, complete with pieces realised in partnership with Savile Row tailors. The move to London was part of a broader strategy by new CEO Gianfranco D’Attis who aims to put a bigger focus on craft. 

Burberry SS27 via Spotlight

Opening up the Archives 

These two top brands activated heritage in different ways: Burberry used it to expand the brand experience, linking its show to ‘The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon’ exhibition at the V&A, marking the brand’s 170th anniversary. Building a wider ecosystem beyond its runway, Thai actor Bright generated $866K EMV for the brand without sharing any runway content during our tracking period. 

At McQueen, Seán McGirr used the brand’s return to London to reconnect with its cultural legacy. With British entertainment legends on its FROW, such as Siouxsie from the Banshees and Emilia Clarke, the brand invited devoted collector Tanya Ravichandran to share an insider’s view of the show, reinforcing the enduring collectability of the house. 

Top Brands of LFW SS27

Highstreet Makes the Runway within Reach 

High-street brands are increasingly treating Fashion Week as a way to elevate their everyday offer. H&M led with a partnership with SHOWStudio and Nick Knight, alongside a top-tier model cast including Alex Consani, generating $7.6M EMV. Other high-street retailers followed suit: M&S celebrated 100 years with a fashion week debut catered to its true customers, simplifying the see-now-buy-now model by sharing barcodes for every look featured on the catwalk. 

Alex Consani opens H&M via Spotlight

Meanwhile, ASOS tapped fashion commentator Lyas to spearhead a new chapter of fashion credibility. Partnering with La Watch Party to screen the Chopova Lowena show, ASOS positioned itself at the heart of the community built by Lyas. This came as the brand is gaining wider momentum, and its stock jumped more than 5% to a three-year high. 

Game On: Twitch Creators Surpass APAC Stars

Building on a trend we first picked up on in New York, Twitch creators continued to assert their influence and pull new audiences into the fashion week circuit.

Gaming is an entire ecosystem with its very own (and highly recognisable) aesthetic. Fashion brands are starting to borrow from games' IP to resonate with their highly engaged audiences. For instance, London-based label Yaku Stapleton, founded in 2023, is entirely based on RPG (role-playing games) characters, from warrior mums to 'reptiloids’ – stocked in cult retailers including Machine-A and Dover Street Market. 

Top Voices of LFW SS27

LFW Wins on Weibo 

The BFC’s long-standing relationship with Chinese actor Hu Bing has helped cement LFW’s presence across Chinese social networks over the years. This season, this visibility was greater on Weibo than it was on Instagram, with $28M in EMV. A selection of Gen Z talents at Burberry, including actor Wu Lei ($1.3M EMV) and snooker champion Wu Yize ($3.9K EMV), ensured LFW remains relevant with young Chinese audiences. 

Brands tap Niche Sports & Rising Talent  

Following this summer’s surge in sports fandom, brands are looking beyond mainstream disciplines to tap emerging communities early. From Muay Thai champions and snooker stars at Burberry to skateboarders walking at Natasha Zinko, the FROW is becoming a testing ground for the next generation of sports culture.