Keeping the Energy Alive: The Experiences Fueling London Fashion Week’s Influence
- Pampler Editorial Team
- Feb 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 21
It’s a cliché that London thrives in dark economic times, but there’s truth in it—scarcity breeds invention, and London designers have always known how to make something out of nothing. This season, the city crackles with that particular kind of energy, from the stalwarts—Simone Rocha, Erdem—to the new guard reshaping its aesthetic language.
But London Fashion Week isn’t just about the shows. The city itself shifts, recalibrating to match the moment. Restaurants, boutiques, and cultural institutions become extensions of the front row. A martini at The Aubrey, a glass of prosecco at Bella Freud’s Chiltern Street flagship, an off-schedule emerging designer showcase in a half-renovated warehouse—fashion week is as much about these collisions as it is about the runway.
It’s this collective rhythm that cements London’s status as a fashion capital—not just for the industry, but for the city itself. The week turns London into a living, breathing part of the spectacle, an ongoing conversation between legacy and experimentation, tradition and the next thing. The best way to experience it? Be everywhere at once.
The Ultimate LFW City Guide: Where to Go Now
The Aubrey | A LFW Cocktail, On the House
Tucked inside the Mandarin Oriental, The Aubrey brings Tokyo’s after-dark energy to the heart of Mayfair. Its dimly lit interiors—velvet booths, lacquered wood, and softly glowing lanterns—set the scene for an indulgent izakaya experience. To mark London Fashion Week, guests dining* will enjoy their Rose & Thorn cocktail from its Yellow Book menu, inspired by the decadence of the Belle Époque. Expect inventive, spirit-forward drinks with an artful edge, all served with the bar’s signature precision.
Location: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA
Date: 20–24 February
*Dinning bookings required.
London College of Fashion | The Next Wave of Fashion, Unveiled
London College of Fashion’s annual postgraduate exhibition is a fixture on the industry’s calendar, offering an unfiltered glimpse into the future of fashion. This year’s showcase—staged across three floors of LCF’s newly opened East Bank campus—features work from the School of Design and Technology and the School of Media and Communication. From radical design innovations to boundary-pushing fashion media, LCF25 is a study in experimentation, research, and the reinvention of industry norms.
Part of London Fashion Week’s official City-Wide Celebration, the exhibition spans disciplines as diverse as Fashion Curation, Digital Production, and Journalism, presenting a collision of heritage techniques, technological advancements, and new modes of storytelling. As Professor Andrew Teverson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of College, puts it: “The future of fashion is in action like nowhere else in the world.”
The exhibition is open to the public with free entry—an opportunity to witness the next generation shaping fashion’s trajectory.
Location: London College of Fashion, 105 Carpenters Road, East Bank, E20 2AR
Dates: 18 February – 1 March, 10AM – 5PM
Bella Freud | A Toast to London Fashion Week
Bella Freud’s Chiltern Street flagship is a study in effortless insouciance—where androgyny meets subversive glamour. This London Fashion Week, the cult label invites you to step inside its world: a space where nostalgia collides with now. Enjoy 15% off all purchases and a complimentary glass of prosecco as you browse the latest drop—slogan knits with bite, razor-sharp tailoring, and silhouettes that play with vintage codes without ever feeling retro.
It’s more than retail; it’s an attitude. Bella Freud’s universe is built on instinct and irreverence, the kind that turns a sweater into an icon and a storefront into a statement. Whether you’re here for the signature “1970” or something unexpected, consider this your invitation to slip into London cool.
Location: Bella Freud, 49 Chiltern Street, W1U 6LY
Dates: Thursday 20th February - Monday 24th February
Cavita | A Taste of Mexico in Marylebone
Tucked away on Wigmore Street, Cavita is Chef Adriana Cavita’s love letter to her heritage—where tradition meets modernity in an atmosphere as warm as the dishes themselves. Opened in 2022, the restaurant is a quiet standout: an intimate space where open-fire cooking, seasonal British produce, and deep-rooted Mexican flavors come together. Expect delicate seafood crudos, shareable plates like Carne Asada, and tortillas made fresh each day.
For those escaping the Fashion Week rush, the mezcalería downstairs—El Bar de Cavita—offers a more discreet indulgence. A dimly lit retreat, it’s stocked with rare mezcals and signature cocktails, ideal for unwinding after a day of shows. Whether for a lingering lunch or a late-night wind-down, Cavita captures the essence of Mexican hospitality in the heart of Marylebone.
Location: 56-60 Wigmore St, London W1U 2RZ
Dates: Thursday 20th February & Friday 21st February, 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
London Fashion Week Moves Beyond the Runway
At Louie London, 1664 Blanc sets the tone with a live performance by Joseph Lawrence, whose voice—somewhere between gospel and soul—carries through the candlelit haze of the bar. A drink on arrival, an intimate crowd, the kind of scene where fashion’s insular moments unfold.
Elsewhere, Margaret Howell turns her Wigmore Street space into a gallery, unveiling never-before-seen campaign imagery shot by William Waterworth. The work is raw, quiet, and inherently British—a meditation on the permanence of craft in an industry obsessed with speed.
Meanwhile, Ahluwalia brings her signature storytelling to Pandora, reworking the meaning of personal adornment with an exclusive engraving experience. Jewelry becomes a canvas, a piece of the runway made personal. It’s fashion as memory, a moment preserved in silver and gold.
AllSaints taps into the raw energy of London’s underground creative scene, partnering with artist Real Hackney Dave for a night of art, customization, and sharp tailoring. Limited-edition screen prints bring denim to life, set against the backdrop of Regent Street’s flagship. Cocktails in hand, attendees leave not just with a piece of clothing, but a fragment of the night itself.
Even The Londoner is in on the shift, offering Fashion Week guests an exclusive 15% off at Whitcomb’s—a nod to the industry’s tendency to turn restaurants into makeshift offices, meeting spaces, and after-hours sanctuaries.
London Fashion Week spills beyond the schedule, weaving itself into the city’s fabric. These activations pull fashion out of exclusive spaces and into the everyday, turning moments of spectacle into something lived rather than watched. At a time when so much exists behind screens, they insist on presence—fashion as something you step into, not scroll past.
Comments