London Fashion Week hit a milestone this season, celebrating its 40th birthday. Naturally, the spotlight landed on its NEWGEN designers – the rising stars supported by the British Fashion Council’s nurturing initiative – all keen to prove that they’re growing up.

And they are. While London has long been hailed as the city that catapults fresh talent onto the global stage, this AW24 saw many emerging labels shedding their youthful skin, opting for grander scale shows that exuded a new maturity. The message from the likes of Conner Ives, Di Petsa, Saul Nash and Yuhan Wang was resounding: yes, LFW is ageing well, and so are our favourite brands. Keep scrolling for a roundup of our top moments…

Would you get married in a headphone embroidered bridal gown with an iPod in hand? That was the playful final look from Conner Ives AW24, part of his collection titled Swans, worn by long-time brand muse Tish Weinstock, or Swan – as Ives prefers to call her. In organza and headphone wire lace remnants and offcuts, the bridal look presented a grown up take on sustainable fashion from Ives.

He’s been inspired by the women, friends and socialites who have helped platform his work, while paying homage to the social swans presented at high society debutante balls. Coincidentally, Ives credits ‘Swan’ Adwoa Aboah, one of his first muses, for launching his career, after she wore his CSM MA ivory duster coat adorned with twelve swans to the Met Gala.

Moving away from his American sportswear inspired looks, Ives presented his AW24 collection in a ballroom at the Savoy Hotel. From the moment Alex Consani opened the show, the audience was captivated, full of wonder as Ives packed on the emotion. We even saw Weinstock herself shedding a tear.

With confidence, Ives has moved on from his early period of development to show his full potential.

Unlike designers who prefer to blend into the background, Greek designer Dimitra Petsa boldly integrates herself into the theatrical displays of her eponymous brand, Di Petsa. For a collection named “Body as a Prayer”, Petsa took centre stage once again, reciting poetry as bells chimed and energy-cleansing incense filled the air. While she continues to explore Greek mythology, AW24 also presented contrasting female archetypes from early Christianity to tap into an exploration of beauty and sexuality.

Petsa’s signature skin-clinging silhouettes and ethereal white and aquatic colour palettes were ever present. This season, she reimagined her iconic wet-look gown, with a stomach-baring version worn by a pregnant model – still milky white toned and decorated in crystal quartz, of course. In a quintessentially Di Petsa twist, a pair of models in nude, sheer gowns darted towards each other before merging into one, tangled in each other’s dresses. Petsa’s infusion of drama into London Fashion Week mirrors her heightened sense of self-assurance.

Drawing inspiration from the golden era of garage music and challenging the outdated club policies of “no hoods/hats/trainers”, Nash’s collection presented a refined take on streetwear that’s sure to pass even the strictest of bouncers.

Aptly titled Dress Codes, the collection signified Nash’s design progression from tracksuits to a more diverse range, including foldable-hood jackets, brand monogram jacquard polo shirts and debut accessories in the form of mesh cross-body bags. Inspired by his MC brother, who Nash says has shaped his fashion ethos, he reinforces his flair for rejuvenating athleisure.

London and British model Jordan Dunn closed the show in a keyhole cut-out track top and mini skirt, but Nash’s casting transcended familiar model faces. Heartless Crew’s MC Bushkin swaggered down the runway to his crew’s beats, while photographer Ewen Spencer made an unexpected catwalk debut. The line-up brought the heart of the original UK garage scene to Fashion Week.

Strict professional dress codes are out, according to Yuhan Wang’s AW24 collection named The Trials. Creating a kind of hyper-feminine courtroom attire, Wang’s AW24 pieces paid tribute to history-shaping female legal figures. She referenced formidable judge Brenda Hale and supreme Court justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg as her inspirations. This runway echoed their conviction in pushing cultural boundaries — albeit through the medium of clothing.

With the Office-Siren TikTok aesthetic going viral earlier this year — a defiant rebellion by nine-to-fivers eager to bring sex back to workwear — Wang’s integration of lace hosiery and stockings into the courtroom setting feels exceptionally on point. Imagine civil robes transformed into whimsical cloaks, pantsuits reimagined as Chanel tweed-inspired two-pieces with a sensual twist, and briefcases adorned with delicate lace accents. In the courtroom of fashion, Wang’s daring designs prevailed.

The biggest injustice here? The slim chance of catching any of these looks in a real courtroom setting any time soon.