There are two kinds of people in London in February: those who complain about the cold, and those who use it as an opportunity to debut a coat with intent.

Next week, London Fashion Week returns to the capital (19–23 February), bringing with it five days of runway shows, designer debuts, front-row theatre and the kind of street style that, let’s face it, makes Paris quietly competitive.

*Outerwear as a blood sport: Burberry, whatever the weather*

Welcome to Autumn/Winter 2026 – and in London, that means outerwear will be a blood sport. If you’re searching for the best London Fashion Week AW26 shows, the top designers at London Fashion Week, or simply wondering what to see at London Fashion Week this February, consider The Last Concierge as your definitive guide.

Burberry at London Fashion Week: The State of British Fashion

No brand carries the weight of British fashion quite like Burberry. Its runway show is never merely a presentation of clothes, but rather a temperature check on British identity itself. Following the heritage brand’s hugely successful (and frankly rather brilliant) Olivia Coleman-led campaign, we’re expecting to see what Burberry does best out in full force, knowing winks and clipped lines all present and correct.

Indeed, the Burberry London Fashion Week show is anticipated, as always, to set the tone for the season. Trench coats will appear, but not in polite, purely heritage form. London in 2026 has little patience for nostalgia (even amidst the current bizarre political climate which seems hell-bent on once again resurrecting the lurching zombie of ‘blitz spirit’ to the unthinking masses) unless it has been convincingly reworked. Expect cinematic outerwear, sharp tailoring and fabrics built to withstand both British weather and British scrutiny.

When Burberry lands its message, the ripple effect across London Fashion Week is immediate. Buyers adjust orders and editors recalibrate headlines. The trench coat once again becomes the most discussed garment in Britain, and we’re far from upset about it. Simply put, if you attend only one major runway show at London Fashion Week AW26, make it Burberry.

Erdem AW26: Romance on the London Runway

Where Burberry interrogates national myth, Erdem Moralıoğlu refines it into the kind of poetry that makes London Fashion Week among the best in the world. As anyone with an eye on the fashion industry will tell you, the Erdem runway show is consistently one of the most anticipated on the AW schedule. Known for painterly florals, intricate embellishment and silhouettes that flirt with Edwardian romance, Erdem delivers collections that are emotionally resonant, technically rigorous and capable of harking back to the kind of fashion-forward nostalgia that’s actually worth getting excited about.

For Autumn/Winter 2026, watch for contrast: delicacy sharpened, softness structured. London designers excel when romance collides with restraint, and Erdem understands that a beautiful dress is memorable, but a beautiful dress with tension is unforgettable. Erdem is where femininity meets architecture, and we’re expecting a show that truly does those designs justice.

Simone Rocha: Art, Volume and Modern Femininity

*Let’s see how this translates to AW in London…*

Few designers embody contemporary London creativity like Simone Rocha, and the Simone Rocha London Fashion Week show has become synonymous with intelligent eccentricity: tulle paired with tailoring, pearls layered over utilitarian silhouettes and volume used for equal measures of spectacle but for storytelling.

It’s a whole lot of fun – expect sculptural skirts, exaggerated proportions and meticulous detailing, packed with drama and a particularly British sense of rebellion. However, Rocha’s collections achieve all of this without shouting; they’re altogether more compelling when the extravagance feels like the most natural choice in the world. Every fastening, every sleeve curve, every juxtaposition of fragility and armour feels deliberate, and in a fashion week often dominated by commercial considerations, Simone Rocha reminds London that fashion remains a cultural language rather than a retail proposition.

Emilia Wickstead: Precision Tailoring at London Fashion Week

*Emilia Wickstead’s 2025 Hitchcockian collection*

There is something quietly radical in 2026 about a thoroughly disciplined approach to fashion, and Emilia Wickstead has built a formidable reputation on precision and restraint. It’s really rather thrilling, and the Emilia Wickstead London Fashion Week show is set to be a masterclass in precision tailoring, refined eveningwear and controlled drama. Her silhouettes are crisp, her construction is exacting and refined. Against a backdrop of maximalism, Wickstead’s choices feel like a power move carefully designed to eke out a decidedly contemporary approach to assertiveness.

For AW26, look for proportion shifts, sculpted shoulders and colour choices that speak of confidence and the impact of understated grace – the kind that never fails to command a room. This is a show that’s all about the execution, and while it won’t swing from the chandeliers or set the city alight, its wearability is its soft and enduring power.

The New Guard: Emerging Designers at London Fashion Week AW26

*Aaron Esh - the herald of Indie Sleaze revivalism*

While heritage brands anchor the week, it is the emerging designers who define its future. That’s really what LFW is all about – in a city with so much grassroots talent and a cutting edge that’s shaped the world’s fashion choices, it’s important to remember that these shows should absolutely remain a celebration of upcoming game-changers.

Our picks for this year’s event? Aaron Esh would have to be right up there, as he continues refining his louche minimalism (all fluid tailoring with an edge of ‘wasted elegance’ dishevelment that feels distinctly modern) his work speaks to a new generation seeking finesse without stiffness. It’s exactly where we want British menswear to be heading.

We’re also excited to see Oscar Ouyang, who brings technical precision and international perspective to the London runway. Oscar’s show is set to be about blending architectural lines with experimental flourishes, and in a city that thrives on risk and treats tradition as a suggestion rather than a rule, we’re all for subtle subversion that elicits conversation.

London Fashion Week AW26 Trends to Watch

Across the Autumn/Winter 2026 collections, several themes are already emerging. There’s a clear and present emphasis on outerwear as a statement piece (as there damn well should be in the English capital, where the overcoat has long been a mainstay of our national costume) – we’re talking elongated woolen coats, modern takes on the cape and the umpteenth reinvention of the trench. Texture and tactility will be big this year; we’ve already seen brushed mohair make a significant comeback, and structured and layered knits are going to be on show alongside lacquered leathers and other ‘touch me’ fabrics, too.

*The subtle subversion that is Oscar Ouyang*

There’s always going to be an element of refined tailoring and formalwear at LFW, and this February’s iteration seems to be leaning into elongated lines and sharper shoulders. Disciplined construction seems to be the order of the season, and that’s never a bad thing in our book. This, coupled with the other hot concept of ‘sustainability as the new standard’ will see garments built for longevity highlighted, as well as notions dealing with modular design and production transparency.

2026 is the year that craftsmanship takes prominence over spectacle, and in these uncertain times, clothing must justify its existence beyond singular social media moments. If these become key trends this year, I’ll be far from the only one feeling a little more optimistic about the future of British design.

London Fashion Week AW26: The Catwalk Shows You Can’t Miss This February in London