London Fashion Week Female Designers Go Sexy

In the personal notes from her show, Dilara Findikoglu pondered, “Why men have way too much control over our bodies? What should a woman wear? How much is too much? I’m confused. I have been trying to find answers, and I hid my own answer in my own collection. It’s not a man’s territory anymore, it’s ours. Our body is our territory. We are here to take it back.” Mixing the bra shapes that are so key at the moment with devastatingly sexy details – lace-up leather, corsets, latex stockings and unzipped dresses – the clothes could leave the wearers exposed by their very lack of coverage, but somehow the missing material didn’t feel vulnerable. Instead the chains, straps, skin and plaited hair details looked strong and powerful, particularly considering the continuing hair-cutting protests in Iran. This collection took the fashion show concept beyond presenting mere garments and placed the clothes in an urgent social, politcial and feminist sphere.

Di Petsa has become known for signature wet look draping that skims and highlights women’s bodies (spot the dresses on Bella Hadid and Megan Fox.) Founder Dimitra expanded this sensuality for autumn / winter 2023 with a collection rich with mosaic tiles of patchworked leather, ruched velvet pieces and an utterly goddess-worthy adulation of the pregnant bellies of the models that walked the show. It was sexy on its own terms.