Catching Up With Europe’s Fashion Summer (Before London Takes the Stage)

I’m late to the party — but I’ve got a good excuse. Between school holidays, family commitments, and my own much-needed summer pause, July and August slipped away. And in fashion, that means I blinked and Paris had already done its couture circus, Topshop had marched back into Trafalgar Square, and September (a.k.a. Fashion Month) is basically knocking on the door.

So, here’s me catching up.

Back in early July (7–10 July, to be precise), Paris gave us Haute Couture Week. Always more fantasy than real life, it didn’t disappoint. Schiaparelli brought the drama with sculptural surrealist pieces — Daniel Roseberry really knows how to keep Instagram gasping. Dior, on the other hand, went heritage-heavy, almost safe. And then there were the celebrities: Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Naomi Campbell — Paris still knows how to turn a runway into a global headline.

Fast forward to mid-August, and London had its own moment. Topshop returned to the high street with a catwalk smack in Trafalgar Square. Open to the public, no velvet ropes, which felt very true to what Topshop always was: accessible, a little chaotic, and built on nostalgia. As someone who still owns her first London Topshop dress that’s been through pregnancies, moves, and body shifts but still fits, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of curiosity. Can Topshop survive today’s landscape, or are we just indulging in collective memory?

Meanwhile, Milan has been simmering with its own pre-fashion-week buzz, but honestly, most of Europe right now is in heritage mode. Every brand is leaning on its past, reminding us “we’ve always been here.” Maybe it’s comforting in turbulent times, but part of me wonders if it’s a bit of a creative safety net.

Which is why I’ve got my eye firmly on London Fashion Week, landing 18–22 September. London is the wildcard. Less polished than Paris, less commercial than Milan, but it’s the city where new voices usually crash the system. I want to see risk, weirdness, and maybe even a little chaos — something that jolts us out of the endless nostalgia loop.

So yes, I’m late with this recap. But maybe that’s fitting. Fashion doesn’t always unfold neatly on schedule for those of us living real lives. I’ll keep catching up, and hopefully, London gives us something worth running late for.