LFW AW25: KENT&CURWEN

Image: Dante Richardson (@dantemoriah)

KENT&CURWEN’s AW25 showcase was something truly magical. Before the models even graced the runway the audience was transported to a place of childlike awe - a place where fashion’s ability to ignite one’s curiosity was made fantastically apparent. 

The key theme of the collection, and the show, was transition. It was a glorious embodiment of the powerful imagination of a child, and of the magical things that can come from holding on to that willingness to create, explore and dream as you move into adulthood. 

Image: Dante Richardson (@dantemoriah)

This theme found its focus in the work of C.S Lewis, the writer of the Chronicles of Narnia. The collection sought to take the audience back to a time when dressing up could take them to new worlds, a time when you could create your own Narnia by simply putting a saucepan on your head, grabbing a spoon in each hand, and charging into battle with your friends. 

Rooted in the language of classic British heritage, the collection reworks familiar silhouettes with a sense of youthful displacement and nods to the world of play and imagination. Tailored blazers and trench coats feel traditional, but their oversized, exaggerated shoulders give off the impression of armour. The collegiate staples that define KENT&CURWEN—rugby jerseys, sporting stripes, herringbone knits—are stretched and reimagined. Rugby hems cascade into babydoll dresses, merging boyhood uniformity with a softer, more fluid identity. Laminated tartans form an almost literal shield, while delicate lace conceals embroidered lions, another delightfully subtle hint of Lewis’ influence.

Image: Dante Richardson (@dantemoriah)

There’s a tension here, a push and pull between the past and the unknown. Fairytales often depict children trying on oversized clothes, not just for play but as a means of stepping into future selves. KENT&CURWEN plays with this idea, using fashion as a portal to possibility. Familiar patterns—argyle, tweed, sporting stripes—remain touchstones, grounding the collection in something recognizable even as it drifts toward reinvention.

At its core, the AW25 collection asks what tradition means in an era of rapid change. Is it a fixed idea, something to be preserved? Or does it evolve with each generation, reshaped by new hands and fresh perspectives? KENT&CURWEN doesn’t attempt to answer the question outright. Instead, it offers clothing as a means of exploration, garments that hold space for transformation. With each layered fabric and undone silhouette, the collection captures the feeling of standing at the threshold—ready to step forward, yet still tethered to the world left behind. One foot in the real world and the other on the inside that magical wardrobe. 

Image: Dante Richardson (@dantemoriah)