London Fashion Week closed its opening day with a catwalk presentation from H&M that underscored the brand’s continued pull in the capital, drawing a 700-strong audience and a cast of about 70 models. The show, staged to close the day, blended high-street accessibility with a star-studded aura, signaling a notable moment for a retailer with more than 200 stores in the UK alone. The lineup highlighted a cadre of younger talents who are the children of well-known figures, a trend that has become a recurring talking point at fashion week across seasons.
Leading the charge was Lila Moss, 22, wearing a shiny red vinyl coat with a faux fur collar, followed by Iris Law, 24, in a red vinyl mini-skirt paired with an oversized jumper and a brown faux fur stole. The presentation also featured Amelia Gray Hamlin, Ned Sims and Romeo Beckham, with Beckham making his London Fashion Week debut on the catwalk. In the front row, fellow attendees included Anais Gallagher and her brother Lennon Gallagher, while Emily Ratajkowski and musician Little Simz sat among the guests. The show was styled by Katie Grand and drew on a Britpop-infused mood that echoed London’s setting, ranging from party-ready pieces to tailored office looks.
The collection featured a spectrum of silhouettes, including structured blazers with pronounced shoulders worn over shirts and oversized ties, nods to a recurring ’90s influence, and a mix of Fair Isle knits, faux leather blousons and wide, leg-elongating trousers. The styling reinforced a sense of versatility, with looks adaptable from Monday-morning office runs to Saturday-night outings. Part of the line will be available online starting September 25, with a second drop slated for October 2.
Lola Young, a singer who closed the show with her platinum-selling single Messy, added further intrigue to the evening. Although some commentators have tagged Young as a nepo baby due to her family connections, her success in music is cited as independent of any single industry gatekeeping. The broader roster of young models and celebrity offspring on the runway kept conversations focused on momentum and branding as much as on fashion.
The presence of a wave of nepo babies at London Fashion Week this season mirrors a longer-running trend in which the intersection of fashion, music and film brings additional attention and commercial energy to runway events. While critics debate the implications of nepotism in fashion casting, event organizers and brands continue to leverage recognizable names to attract mainstream audiences while presenting collections that aim to stand on their own merits. London Fashion Week’s latest highlights suggest a dynamic landscape where legacy and new talent converge, and where a mass-market retailer can still command headlines through a well-timed, highly curated show.