London Fashion Week has seen numerous designers cancel or reschedule their shows due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 8. Modem spotlights Sinéad O’Dwyer, Harri, Chopova Lowena, and Chet Lo ahead of the five-day fashion event.


Sinéad O’Dwyer SS23 collection

Sinéad O’Dwyer @sjodwyer
Sinéad O’Dwyer is an Irish-born fashion designer based in London with a MA in fashion at the Royal College of Art. The mission of his art is to promote body diversity, shifting perspectives on the luxury industry. Sinéad O’Dwyer launched her London-based eponymous label in 2018 with unorthodox designs that accommodate non-sample-size bodies and challenge industry beauty standards. The designer’s casting for her show during London Fashion Week SS23 includes different body types and ethnicities together with disabled models to demonstrate her body-inclusive approach to fashion. For this collection O’Dwyer worked with natural dye specialist Cavan McPherson introducing in her production natural-dyed fabrics.


Harri SS23 collection

Harri @harri_ks
The Indian designer Harri (his full name is Harikrishnan Keezhathil Surendran Pillai) founded his label upon graduating from the Menswear MA at the London College of Fashion in June 2020. He started assisting International Woolmark Prize winner Suket Dhir in New Delhi, an experience that was very useful for him opening up many possibilities in the industry. Working between London and New Delhi, his pieces are a mix of craft, materiality and fashion, shifting between textiles made of wood to performance sculptures. Since their launch on the market his balloon pants, which are nothing more than gravity defying inflatable latex trousers (the latex is both vegan and biodegradable), have conquered the public. For his SS23 collection the designer paired the pantaloons with wooden beaded tank tops made by artisans in Karnataka’s Channapatna.


Chopova Lowena SS23 collection

Chopova Lowena @chopovalowena
Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons are the duo behind the eponymous label Chopova Lowena. Emma and Laura first met in 2011 when they were studying for bachelor’s degrees in womenswear design at Central Saint Martins in London. The brand, loved by the bigger starts (also Dua Lipa, Madonna, Ella Emhoff and Olivia Rodrigo wear its mini kilts), is known for its colorful, folkloric pleated skirts inspired by their shared Bulgarian heritage. The new collection, titled “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose,” a quote from a Gertrude Stein poem, was presented inside Porchester Hall, near Paddington Station in London, and takes inspiration from Bulgaria’s Rose festival, between punkish details, dresses with huge bows, original ties and maxi belts.


Chet Lo SS23 collection

Chet Lo @ chet__lo
The Chinese-American designer Chet Lo made his debut at London Fashion Week SS23. The London-based designer loved by Doja Cat, Chloe Cherry and many more, attended the BA knitwear course at the prestigious art college Central Saint Martins and did some internships at the luxury fashion houses Maison Margiela and Proenza Schouler. He started his career debuting with London talent incubator Fashion East in 2021. His collections are known for their identifiable spiky knitwear. For Spring/Summer 2023, Lo celebrates his Asian heritage and his childhood Buddhist having grown up Buddhist and having attended temples for the greater part of his younger years. Taking inspiration from ancient Buddhist tales, the collection, presented at the Old Selfridges Hotel, pays tribute to the peaceful serene atmosphere of a Buddhist temple.

Photo: Chet Lo SS23 collection