Love is a Battlefield: Keburia at LFW

Following an exciting first night at LFW, Scarlet and I were in high spirits for the fashion to come on Friday the 19th. Our first item on the agenda: the Keburia show at the Emerald Theatre, an exciting, cabaretesque venue hidden just below Waterloo bridge. What would seem as an unsuspecting place during daylight hours suddenly blossomed around the 1pm mark into a London Fashion Week hotspot for the best street style - the average passerby could hardly take their eyes off the street spectacle. 

Scarlet and I joined the queue, Scarlet in a black corset and silver tone jeans with her iconic desigual bag tucked underneath her arm and me in too many layers for the hottest day of the week - with my black, short dress and tan RL shirt hidden beneath my denim waistcoat - my camera held tightly in my hand ready to capture those around us. Abigale Masters was in the queue in a massive, hot pink tutu, pearl collections all on display and the most fabulous Chanel bag. The whole street was an eruption of patterns from polka dot skirts and tops, to floral fitted suits, to lace tights and head nets taking over every inch of peoples’ bodies. 

Slowly we followed the queue inside the venue which was covered with velvet interiors in all hues of red and pink, had a casual chandelier hanging by the stairs and held an inescapable burlesque atmosphere. We sat tightly amongst a densely fashion packed theatre awaiting the Georgian designer’s looks to appear. 

Keburia’s brand was founded in 2015 and if you were to look at his website there would be few items on sale - not a lack of fashion but a dedication to sustainable fashion and the made to order style that more brands should seek. Already idolizing Keburia for his ethos we could not wait to see what the SS26 Ready to Wear collection was going to be. 

As soon as the first model emerged you can instantly tell that Keburia loves women and wants women to love what they are wearing and feel powerful in it. A prowess of military styled jackets and suits came pouring out from backstage, bringing forward a new sense of who runs this world. Using Victorian tailoring and finesse, Keburia shifts the narrative of the military jacket into a beautifully constructed garment for women, taking away its otherwise dull, masculine connotations. Styling them with tailored, outrageously mini mini-skirts and knee high lace up boots, Keburia leveled up a simple garment into a fierce look - one that screams “we don’t give a f***k.” We all want to be a Keburia girl, but only few can dare. 

Courtesy of Keburia

A notable one of Keburia’s SS26 looks was styled with a black, sleeveless corset with military-esque button detailing and oversized jersey shorts - an unexpected combination at a LFW runway. What I had alarmingly mistaken for the English flag in a glimpse was in fact the Georgian flag, central to Keburia’s brand identity. For once in the past few weeks it was refreshing to see a flag and brought a sense of pride and identity to the runway that ensures that sense of intercultural value that London and London Fashion Week are truly about. It definitely seems like the ideal outfit for the next World Cup or Olympics if you are in fact a supporter of Georgia in addition to being an extremely eccentric individual. 

Courtesy of Keburia

The most It-girl look by far was the stunning, gothic combination of the puffed out, midnight, ballerina skirt accompanied with red laced up thigh-high boots and a simple black tee that read “Bye Anna.” An ode to Anna Wintour’s stepping down as Vogue’s Editor in Chief it brought an unprecedented sense of humour and simplicity to the runway that created a sense of relatability not easily associated with London Fashion Week. It’s a look you could definitely imagine on the likes of Charli XCX or Gabriette entering some grungy, underground New York bar on a casual Tuesday.   

Courtesy of Keburia 

Finally, the look that drew all eyes in the room was this iconic diva, warrior look that transforms the runway into the goddess battleground that Keburia has so carefully cultivated. The matching midnight, metallic head piece and top secure a sexy armour that empowers the wearer and reminisces a 1920s slapper look if she were ready to fight. The whole look is very modern Joan of Arc, a character type that has gained mass popularity amongst Gen Z women, with the skirt inserting a Sex and the City, ultra-feminine camouflage to dial down the warrior woman. Everything about this look not only brings in every strong female archetype but further shows why femme fatale is not just the typical short, black dress we all associate it with. It is needless to say the average fashionista would serve and die for Keburia if it was in this outfit. 

Not a day has passed since my SS26 moodboard has been filled with thigh high boots, Victorian silhouettes and even the basic graphic tee, which Keburia has crafted into a lookbook for the modern, empowered woman. Not only has it inspired a more daring attitude for the everyday woman but it has brought back a sense of the fact that in this day and age there are a lot of things worth fighting for - so you may as well do it in a beautifully tailored military-esque blazer and mini skirt. Keburia’s SS26 Collection is ready to wear but is the world ready for the Keburia takeover? 

Love is a battlefield and we are all willing to fight if it’s in Keburia couture.