Tolu Coker Autumn/Winter 2026

There was a quiet power to Tolu Coker’s autumn/winter 2026 show that reminded everyone why fashion can still move people. The British-Nigerian designer opened London Fashion Week with a collection titled Survivor’s Remorse, an autobiographical reflection on class, heritage and community. Held at 180 Strand’s NewGen space, the presentation unfolded like a love letter to Coker’s West London upbringing, revisiting the council estate that shaped her perspective and her voice.

Each look carried the emotional weight of memory and transformation. Reimagined school uniforms, tailored jackets, tartans and pleated skirts told stories of resilience and identity, while painted family portraits by artist Neequaye Dreph Dsane lined the set like ghosts of a shared past. Coker’s ability to merge lived experience with impeccable craft set her apart as one of the defining voices of a new British generation — one unafraid to centre working-class creativity within luxury.

Among the audience was King Charles III, a subtle full-circle moment for the designer whose early work was supported by The Prince’s Trust. But the night belonged entirely to Coker. When Little Simz rose from her seat to perform live, the room shifted from show to celebration. This was more than a collection; it was a reclamation of space, proof that fashion’s future is being built not in palaces, but in stories like hers.