H&M Sets London Alight With Its Boldest Fashion Show Yet
H&M’s London Fashion Week takeover at 180 The Strand fused music, spectacle and design
There’s something endlessly fascinating about watching H&M evolve. For years, it was the brand you ran to for a quick fix: affordable, accessible, and always ready to wear. But in the last few seasons, H&M has started to rewrite that script. Capsule drops that nod to luxury, campaigns rooted in culture, and a design language that feels sharper and more personal – all of it has nudged the brand into new territory. Earlier this week in London, at 180 The Strand, you could feel just how far it’s come.
‘H&M&180: The London Issue’ set the tone before the first model even hit the runway. The courtyard was transformed into a brutalist theatre, monumental screens wrapping the concrete walls while a pulsing soundscape turned the audience into part of the show. You could spot Central Cee chatting in one corner, Little Simz slipping into her seat, Emily Ratajkowski and Adwoa Aboah exchanging hellos and former Bazaar Bride cover star Leonie Hanne smiling away – the kind of front row that told you something big was about to happen.
On the runway, star power kept pace: Romeo Beckham, Sora Choi, Paloma Elsesser, Amelia Gray, Iris Law and Lila Moss brought an undeniable energy. And, in a nod to the region, familiar Middle Eastern faces like Nadine Abdelaziz, Farah Abdelaziz, Summer Bujsaim, Yasmine Sima and Shouq were right there, proving just how global H&M’s stage has become.
The show opened with H&M Studio AW25, the line that has always been the brand’s most daring and what many people not know, is completely designed in-house. This season was about striking contrasts: São Paolo’s tropical brutalism set against Stockholm’s clean minimalism, sharp tailoring clashing beautifully with softer details. Think masculine jackets broken up by delicate peplums, sequins worn down against raw denim, heavy wool coats left with exposed seams. There was a charge in the air – futurism meeting nostalgia, silhouettes that felt like they were being taken apart and put back together right in front of us. Amelia Gray, stomping through in shearling and thigh-high boots, crystallised the whole mood in one look.
From there, the night rolled into the wider H&M AW25 story, which played out like a love letter to the ’90s. The first beat was pure Britpop – think leather jackets, pleated skirts, high-shaft boots, that insouciant Camden edge. Then came the after-dark vibe of the city: slick, polished, a little hedonistic. It was nostalgia, yes, but nostalgia with a twist – everyday pieces recoded, rebellion stitched into the seams.
No one embodied that better than Lola Young, making her debut as both model and performer. One moment she was striding the runway in a blazer-and-mini-skirt combo, the next she was on the mic, voice spilling over the amphitheatre. The audience joined in, pulled to their feet as models turned into dancers and the energy blurred into something that felt more like a gig than a show. As Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s Head Designer & Creative Advisor, summed it up: these collections are “a tribute to self-expression and personal style” – and you could feel that sentiment in every note, every step.
And of course, it didn’t end there. Honey Dijon and Pxssy Palace took over for the after-party, keeping the courtyard alive under neon lights until early morning.
What stuck wasn’t just the clothes but the ambition. H&M used London to make its point: Studio is where construction and silhouette are pushed to their limits and the mainline has found a new way to channel cultural nostalgia. H&M has long spoken to the masses, but this time it felt like a conversation with the fashion community itself. “Liberating fashion for the many,” said Creative Director Jörgen Andersson during a panel ahead of the show — a mission that resonated on the runway at 180 The Strand, where H&M proved accessibility doesn’t mean losing edge, only gaining momentum.
H&M AW25 Drop 1 is currently available in stores, while Drop 2 will be available from October 2. H&M Studio AW25 will be available from September 25.
Imagery Supplied