Simone Rocha Brings Romance to the Old Bailey as London Fashion Week Closes
Simone Rocha, the London-based womenswear label, staged its Spring 2027 show inside the Old Bailey, London's Central Criminal Court. The collection took inspiration from a long-lost masterpiece by Caravaggio, the Italian Baroque painter, according to WWD. Retail buyers, the staff who decide what shops stock, picked out its cut-apart, deconstructed shapes as a highlight.
The show was part of a five-day London Fashion Week that ran from 17 to 21 September 2026, according to London Fashion Week. The schedule published by the British Fashion Council, the body that organises the week, included Simone Rocha, Roksanda, Harris Reed, Barbour and Richard Quinn, alongside runway regulars Burberry, the British trench-coat maker, and Erdem, the London womenswear label.
This season added three firsts. McQueen, the London fashion house, returned to the runway. Christopher Kane, the Scottish designer, made his debut for Mulberry, the British leather-goods house. Marks & Spencer, the British high-street retailer, staged its first fashion show on the official calendar, WWD reported.
Early buying signals point to romance. Simon Longland, director of buying for fashion at Harrods, the London department store, listed Erdem, Roksanda, Burberry, Simone Rocha and McQueen as his favourite collections. David Thielebeule, fashion director at Bloomingdale's, the US department store, named Simone Rocha, Erdem, Liberowe, Knwls and Burberry.
Longland singled out Erdem. He described the show as a tour de force that best met the moment. His one-word summary of the season: "Romance".
Buyers also backed Erdem's characters and craftsmanship and artistic flourishes at Steve O Smith, the London menswear label. Vogue, the fashion magazine, published a cheat sheet to guide general readers through the Spring/Summer 2027 London shows.
Several London names are already in awards conversation. Actor Colman Domingo hosted The Fashion Awards 2025. Nominees cited ahead of that event included Sarah Burton, Simone Rocha, Erdem Moralioglu, Steve O Smith and Torishéju Dumi.
What makes this stand out is the mix. Big houses returned. A high-street name joined the calendar. Newer labels won orders alongside established ones. For fans, this means the London shops next spring will carry soft shapes, detailed handwork and a more theatrical mood.
