Fashion Week

LFW’s Street Style Stars Showed Out In The Most Controversial Trends

Carrie Bradshaw’s bird bag, ugly shoes, and more.

by Alyssa Lapid
Normani goes pantless and a guest wears capri pants to London Fashion Week.
Christian Vierig/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The UK has always been associated with fashion’s biggest rebels and luminaries (think: Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen). The city seems to bring out the same subversive style attitude in its locals too — especially during London Fashion Week. This Spring/Summer 2025 season, which lasted from Sept. 13 through 17, the shows’ chicest attendees leaned into the most rabble-rousing trends and showed out in eyebrow-raising pieces.

The most popular trends, of course, were risqué. (At this point, it’s the same in every city.) London, however, was way more undressed. Underwear? Flaunted. Nips? Displayed. And pants? Totally forgotten.

On the accessories front, the theme was “ugly.” Streets were rife with some of the most despised shoes. Countless savants sported the hooved look and slipped into Maison Margiela’s infamous Tabis. Other pluckier style heroes donned rubbery Crocs (bedazzled à la Simone Rocha, no less). If shoes were ugly, bags were wildly whimsical in all sorts of novelty shapes.

Ahead, five of the London Fashion Week’s most controversial street style trends — it was a style insurrection for the ages.

Capri Pants

And Just Like That... may not be airing for another few months, but Carrie Bradshaw is all over the fashion scene. In particular, her favorite pant length is back en vogue: the capri. After the retro length debuted on the Spring/Summer 2024 runways of Coperni and 3.1 Phillip Lim, the style has been picked up by the fashion cognoscenti.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: A guest wears white cropped blouse, black capri pants outside JW And...
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Sienna King attends the Di Petsa show during London Fashion Week Sep...
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Dip your toe into the trend with a cropped legging — none would be the wiser. But if you’re feeling revved up, go forth and rock Gigi Hadid-approved denim capris.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Galina Arkhi attends the Mark Fast show during London Fashion Week S...
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Novelty Bags

At NYFW, kitschy bag charms dangled down straps of the season’s biggest it bags. London, however, amped up the whimsy. Why leave the silliness to itty-bitty trinkets when you can go kooky with the actual carryall?

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: A guest wears dress with print, black bag, transparent glove outside...
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: A guest wears pigeon bag outside JW Anderson during London Fashion W...
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On the streets, all sorts of novelty bags were photographed including another Carrie Bradshaw piece: her JW Anderson pigeon clutch. Even Puppets & Puppets’ famous produce-affixed bags (peep the 3D resin banana bag above) also made an appearance.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 18: Zeena Shah wears blue bows in hair, blue dress, pearl necklace, beige...
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: A guest wears stuffed animal dog bag outside Simone Rocha during Lon...
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All-Out Bras

LFW runways were undeniably bra-forward — so, too, were streets and front rows. Simone Ashley, for example, went the corp sleaze route and showed off her semi-sheer brassiere under a teeny skirt suit.

Simone Ashley attends the Nensi Dojaka show during London Fashion Week September 2024 at St Pancras ...
Cora Corre attends the Burberry show during London Fashion Week September 2024 at  on September 16, ...
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If peekaboo intimates are too tame for your tastes, consider undressing altogether and wearing a bra as a top. Bonus vanguard points if it’s sheer.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 18: Jessie-Mae Alonzo wears cut out skirt, cropped purple top, green coat...
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Ellie Bamber wears white transparent dress outside 16Arlington durin...
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Look Ma, No Pants

The pantsless movement popularized by Kendall Jenner continues. Daring style stars like Normani ditched pants altogether and stripped down to panties.

Normani wears pink puffer jacket, white top outside JW Anderson during London Fashion Week September...
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Akira Reid attends the M.A.C x Dreaming Eli LFW After Party at Old S...
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Meanwhile, some flaunted all their intimates under see-through ensembles. While last year would’ve seen underwear with minimal coverage (i.e. cheeky thongs), this season’s unanimous choices were high-waist renditions.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 17: Nadia Phillips wears oversized brown coat, transparent dress, heels o...
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Paloma Faith attends the British Vogue and Rabanne to party celebrat...
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Ugly Shoes

Even the most daring of fashion girls steer clear of some things — Crocs being one of them. Not LFW attendees, though. After the brand collaborated with Simone Rocha for yassified pairs affixed with pearls and gems, the divisive footwear got major street cred. LFW was proof.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: A guest wears black, round bag, crocs outside Simone Rocha during Lo...
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Maria Joana attends the Simone Rocha show during London Fashion Week...
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Meanwhile, the Tabi’s chokehold on fashion girls continues — showing no signs of slowing down.

PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 27: Sonia Lyson is seen wearing wide jeans from Zara and beige leather bal...
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: A guest wears wide leg pants, creme white shirt outside JW Anderson ...
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