London fashion week celebrated its 40th anniversary last September, showcasing a roster of trailblazing independent brands. Subversiveness and artistic freedom are, after all, the ingredients that have made London stand out among the four fashion capitals. Below is an edit of what caught Brummell’s attention this season.

Priya Ahluwalia dissected the notion of home in relation to migration flows with a heartwarming show held in Church House in Westminster. Carpeted with North African rugs, the imposing Assembly Hall turned into a cosy and somehow intimate space. Knots and wrinkles pop up over textured dresses draped in sumptuous fabrics, mirroring the emotional ties to one’s native country.

The Indian-Nigerian designer, renowned for her exquisite approach to upcycling, transformed vintage doilies into romantic tops embellished with fine beading while using Chloé deadstock fabrics to craft tailored suits in relaxed silhouettes. Two-piece co-ord sets come with floral prints merged with ‘70s-inspired patterns – recalling the wallpaper in Ahluwalia’s grandmother’s first house in the UK.

The message behind her show couldn’t feel more poignant considering the current geopolitical turmoil. ‘Because of all the displacement going on in the world, I thought about how important home actually is to people, whether that is your physical home or a person you feel at home with,’ said the designer backstage.

Elsewhere, Di Petsa presented a collection that celebrates womanhood, intimacy and self-acceptance through the lens of mythology. Inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, the collection from designer Dimitra Petsa features long, ethereal wet-look column-dresses in translucent white and blue. Flowing silks and meshes are masterfully draped in vibrant degradé colours evoking the leak of body fluids and menstrual blood. Breaking the stigma of female masturbation – still largely repressed and dismissed in our society – Petsa sent to the catwalk clothes that encourage auto-erotism. For the first time, the designer added some menswear pieces including sculpted white tracksuits and matching distressed shirts.

Lastly, Chinese-American designer Chet Lo twisted the codes of officewear with a collection that celebrates his mother and her unique career journey. After disrupting the male-dominated field of computer science in the early ’90s, Mai-Wah Cheung shifted to the world of art and education.

Mirroring this duality, Lo revealed delicate floating dresses in organza followed by more structured silhouettes. Black column-dresses and knitwear come in textured 3D spikes – a homage to the durian fruit and the designer’s Asian heritage.

Corporate-core staples, such as tailored shirts and ties, are revisited with a playful take: grey pleated trousers and skirts come in generous volumes and are distorted by asymmetrical panels. Inspired by the world of digital media, the royal blue “glitch” pattern electrified the austere colour palette.