Once again, Sarabande designers stormed London Fashion Week SS26, presenting collections that rewire codes and traditions, injecting new ideas into the fashion bloodstream. Alumni and residents of the foundation demonstrated that heritage craft and experimental design aren’t sworn enemies but rather perfect dance partners, a pas de deux of memory and provocation, stitch and subversion. Running from and to corners of London, we were treated to the kind of fashion that doesn’t simply decorate the body, but interrogates it, questions it, and reimagines it for the future.

Across London, Sarabande designers took to catwalks, presentations, and unconventional stages with an energy that was unmistakably their own. Savile Row tailoring was recut with a restless edge; folklore was unearthed and rewoven into garments bearing a visible patina of time; silhouettes dissolved into illusion, while even iconic institutions like the British Library were plunged into aquatic dreamscapes. Sustainability took centre stage, from biodegradable filaments sculpted into operatic gowns to waste textiles reborn with defiance. This season, Sarabande’s presence was less a contribution and more a provocation: a reminder that the foundation’s alumni aren’t simply taking part in the industry, but rewriting its narrative thread by thread. Below, we round up the designers who made this London Fashion Week one to remember.

Aaron Esh's SS26 collection marked a triumphant return to London Fashion Week, blending the precision of Savile Row tailoring with the raw energy of East London's nightlife. Held at Oval Space in Hackney, the show was a masterclass in juxtaposition: classic menswear silhouettes reimagined with a distinctly modern edge. Styled by Katy England and featuring bespoke suits crafted by Savile Row tailor Charlie Allen, the collection exuded a sense of polished rebellion.

Esh's design ethos marries 1930s couture techniques with contemporary streetwear sensibilities. The lineup showcased a range of meticulously crafted pieces, including suede trench coats, feathered overcoats, satin track jackets, and tailored jackets in herringbone tweed. The collection's styling further emphasized its urban roots. Models donned 'ALL-ACCESS' lanyard necklaces, subtly nodding to the exclusivity and insider culture of London's fashion scene. The soundtrack, featuring artists like EsDeeKid and Crystal Castles, added an auditory layer to the show's gritty glamour.

Esh's SS26 collection is a testament to his ability to blend heritage craftsmanship with the dynamic energy of London, offering a wardrobe that is both aspirational and deeply connected to the city's cultural pulse.

For his Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Welsh designer Paolo Carzana transformed the British Library’s rare-books Reading Room into a submerged world of ecological elegy. Titled The Last Pangolin on Earth, the show was a haunting meditation on extinction, reverence, and the fragility of life. The show began with the first model drifting around the room followed by a spotlight, beginning the show as an atmospheric score lifted from a David Attenborough ocean documentary built before the 18 looks followed weaving in-between the rows of the library.

As with all of Paolo’s shows, the collection was deeply personal and poetic, reflecting the brand’s ongoing dedication to natural dyes and fabrics such as pea silk and organic cotton, and a profound reverence for nature. The garments, hand-treated with plant-based dyes, showcased earthy tones, soft taupes, muddy reds, gentle pinks, and muted purples, some inspired by the delicate hues of coral bleaching, highlighting a subtle dialogue between beauty and fragility.

The inspiration for the collection came from Carzana's fixation on redefining the term 'supernatural' to focus on Earth's creatures, land, and oceans. He was particularly moved by endangered animals, including the pangolin, and sought to honour their beauty and fragility through his designs. The garments looked as if they had grown onto the models’ bodies, embodying a sense of organic decay and rebirth. Carzana's work bridges themes of ecological awareness and artistic authenticity, crafting garments with purpose and emotion. 

In The Last Pangolin on Earth, Paolo Carzana crafted a collection that challenges the conventions of modern fashion and what we deem as luxury, offering a thoughtful, forward-looking alternative.

John Alexander Skelton's Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Collection XIX, marked a significant departure from his previous works, embracing a softer, more intuitive approach to design. Departing from the dense historical layering and ritualistic precision of his winter collections, this season felt looser and more instinctive—a deliberate choice by Skelton to allow the creative process to find its own rhythm. The collection was deeply personal, inspired by Skelton's family roots in County Mayo, Ireland. He embarked on a journey to the west coast of Ireland, where he collaborated with locals to model the garments, honoring personal memories and letting fabric lead the way. The resulting pieces showcased a blend of traditional tailoring with a relaxed, refined aesthetic.

A standout feature of Collection XIX was its commitment to craftsmanship and sustainability. Skelton utilised deadstock fabrics, including a morning-stripe cloth traditionally used in funeral suiting, to create garments that were both contemporary and rooted in history. The collection's color palette featured restrained grays and blacks, pale pinks, overdyed aubergines, and champagne-toned florals, reflecting the gentle, rolling quality of the Irish landscape. The presentation at Dover Street Market included an immersive installation and film screening, offering a visual narrative that complemented the tactile experience of the garments. This fusion of fashion and storytelling underscored Skelton's ability to create collections that are not only visually striking but also rich in cultural and emotional resonance.

The London-based brand Stefan Cooke, led by Stefan Cooke and his creative partner Jake Burt, is celebrated for its innovative approach to contemporary fashion. Cooke’s daring subversion of traditional textile techniques, combined with Burt’s mastery of silhouette and design, forms the foundation of the label’s distinctive aesthetic. Technique lies at the heart of their practice, driving a continual exploration of materiality and innovation. Their Spring/Summer 2026 collection, Illusion Ascends, delved into the pivotal role of independent retail spaces in shaping fashion narratives, further cementing Stefan Cooke’s position at the intersection of craftsmanship and conceptual storytelling.

Karina Bond has a love affair with the extraordinary, handcrafted prints, meticulously painted surfaces, and silhouettes that are unapologetically theatrical. Her SS26 collection, Midnight Sun, brought this vision to life, blending craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. At its heart were her signature 3D-printed garments, made from biodegradable filaments that balance innovation with sustainability.

The showstopper, the Desert Rose dress, was a labor of devotion: over 5,000 individually drawn discs assembled by hand to create a sculptural, almost otherworldly bloom. Each piece in the collection felt like a bridge between imagination and reality, a glimpse into a future where fashion is not just worn, but experienced, tactile, intelligent, and fiercely expressive.

Timisola Shasanya, a Sarabande CSM BA scholar, presented her SS26 collection, Runners, at Hi-Fi London, offering an intimate, immersive exploration of heritage, memory, and movement. Gesture and motion were central to her designs, shaping the way each piece draped, flowed, and interacted with the wearer.

Through her work, Timi addresses critical race issues and the complexities of African migrant identity, reflecting on her own journey across London, Nigeria, and rural Kent. Her garments become a medium for storytelling, merging personal history with broader cultural narratives. At the heart of her practice is a dedication to intricate textiles and cutting, allowing each piece to convey emotion, perspective, and a sense of shared experience.

London-based Brazilian designer Renata Brenha, currently in residence at Sarabande High Road, brings a distinctly Latin American female perspective to contemporary fashion, blending artisanal techniques with intuitive, human-centered design. Her work draws on the rich, mixed cultures of Latin America, using them as both aesthetic inspiration and philosophical guide.

Brenha’s textiles are mostly developed in-house, crafted through traditional techniques and carefully selected materials that might otherwise be discarded. Sustainability is woven into every stage of her process, merging craftsmanship with forward-thinking practices. For SS26, Brenha channels the defiant, vibrant energy of Brazil’s Tropicália movement, creating a collection that pulses with tropical punk spirit while speaking to a new, conscientious approach to luxury.

Freddy Coomes and Matt Empringham are a design duo who have spent the past five years cultivating a deeply collaborative practice, rooted in a shared university project. Their work reflects a nuanced exploration of British identity and contemporary life in modern Britain, seamlessly blending tradition with a forward-thinking perspective. At the core of their process is a tactile engagement with materials, where fabric, color, and texture play a defining role in shaping each piece. This season, their evolving vision centers on Aletta, showcased through a striking digital dance performance by Violet Savage, presenting the Spring/Summer 2026 collection at Dover Street Market London.