Simone Rocha's Rebel ballerinas, Burberry's new menswear collection, and other highlights of London Fashion Week

From the poofy dresses to the practical pantsuits – what you should know about the new Erdem's, Marques'Almeida's, and other brands collections that have been shown on the London online runways. 

Erdem

The presentation of the new Erdem collection became one of the most awaiting events at London Fashion Week. Working on the clothes for the fall-winter 2021 season, the brand's creative director Erdem Moralioglu was inspired by ballet. In 2018, the designer collaborated with the Royal Opera House and created outfits for several performances. It pushed him to new experiments and to show how to adapt stage costumes to a casual wardrobe.

The new Erdem's collection shows the contrast between basic clothes and unusual details. It is a metaphor of how the world is gradually waking up from quarantine hibernation: people are changing home pajamas into all the best and spiffy clothes. The collection includes trench coats and jackets decorated with feathers, like in "Swan Lake," airy pleated skirts, tops with open shoulders, kimono dresses, and high platform shoes with long satin ribbons that need to be tied around the ankle like pointe shoes.

Burberry

Brand's signature plaid prints, beige trench coats, sports bombers, dresses, skirts, pantsuits, cropped coats, and hats with bunny-ear bows – all these are the elements of the first stand-alone Burberry men's collection that Riccardo Tisci presented at London Fashion Week. He has chosen a symbolic place for this occasion, namely the brand's flagship store. It is within its walls that unique items of the brand are created.

In the new collection, the designer decided to show how effective, practical, and versatile a modern rural style can be, which, in his opinion, will only gain popularity in the future. "I found out that, around the world, the young generations moved to the countryside, to forests and beaches, where they could feel free. In spaces with no buildings, they could see reality. In these places, they built their own universes inspired by the animal world," Tisci said. "We want to find a new freedom. For the last two decades, we've all been focused on numbers and money. Now, we want to live life."

Simone Rocha

The Simone Rocha fashion show took place in London's St John's Church without the spectators. Just like Erdem Moralioglu, designer Simone Rocha found her inspiration in the images of ballerinas.  However, she showed them not as airy nymphs who flutter around the stage but as daring rebels who can protect themselves from all threats. "We all feel very kind of internal at the moment," she said in one of her interviews. "I wanted to look after that fragility, but give it a harder shell."

The "Fragile Rebels" collection includes dresses, skirts, and blouses made of tulle, decorated with ruffles and embossed floral embroidery, looks with voluminous sleeve leather jackets, trench coats, and military-style boots.

Marques'Almeida

After the main wave of self-isolation ended, many designers admitted that the pandemic was not only a difficult test for them but also a kind of catalyst for creativity pushing them to bold ideas and ways to implement them. While some brands run shows in the format of cartoons, video games, and theatrical performances with puppet dolls instead of models, Marques'Almeida decided to present the fall-winter 2021 collection, arranging a real rap concert led by hip-hop singer Nenny.

The entire collection is made from recycled materials: shirts, puff-sleeved dresses, oversized jackets, down jackets, jeans, and miniskirts made from biodegradable fibers and fabrics found in the ocean.

Emilia Wickstead

According to Emilia Wickstead, while working on a new collection, she kept thinking about different women and imagining how they spend the days in isolation. The designer developed the idea of living in a confined space and hidden from view in the outfits and the scenery for the fall-winter 21/21 fashion show.  A labyrinth of doorways became a podium for models, where they flashed for just a few seconds, showing the audience only furtively and leaving a feeling of an understatement.

This time Emilia Wickstead reimagined silhouettes and the romantic spirit of several historical eras demonstrating how they fit modern trends. The new brand's collection includes A-line skirts with high slits, off-shoulder dresses, fitted coats in the style of the 1950s, long capes, overalls with turn-down collars, trouser suits, and blouses with a pattern of large blue buds.

Molly Goddard

Known for her quirky designs, Molly Goddart has decided to focus on casual style this season. The designer has added jersey vests, classic coats, jackets, jeans, sweaters, and straight trousers to the brand's traditional princess dresses, puffy tutu skirts, and eccentric accessories, thus finding a delicate balance between poetic looks and everyday wardrobe.

"This collection was maybe the toughest to put together because of all the restrictions," Goddard said in her interview with Vogue. "There was so much uncertainty even in the logistics, but that didn't stop us from taking risks. In a way, I think we really went for it."

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