London Fashion Week hasn’t been its normal self for a long time now thanks to COVID-19, and this season’s schedule had to be reworked and partially cancelled due to the Queen’s passing. This led some brands, including Burberry and Raf Simons, to decide to cancel their shows altogether as a mark of respect, but the majority of the brands soldiered on, with many acknowledging the period of mourning with moving tributes. Not only are runway shows eye-wateringly expensive to stage and prepare for, but this is, after all, a prime time for designers and their teams, having spent the past six months (at the very least) working tirelessly to produce collections. The show circuit provides the main opportunity to gather exposure and shore up your company’s financial future—the British fashion industry has taken hit after hit in the last few years, so it was imperative that our homegrown talent had the support of the industry to keep things buoyant during yet another turbulent season, which is why it’s more important than ever that you take note of the names and their collections here. London is known as a hotbed for rising talent, and this season, despite all odds, that vibe and buzz felt like it was coming through strongly with relatively new names taking up the space in coverage and on our phones through the many videos and stills editors, buyers, stylists and influencer notch up over the course of a few days.