John Richmond brought his punk spirit to LFW

After years of showing in Milan, Manchester-born fashion designer John Richmond returned to London, the city where his brand was born from the punk rock era and underground club culture of the 1980s, to hold a special presentation for his autumn/winter 2025 collection.

Known for his fearless aesthetic and subversive edge, John Richmond is a lesson on how to achieve longevity in this fast-paced industry by focusing on authenticity and craftsmanship. After more than 40 years, the British designer’s brand is still driven by his rebellious and rock ‘n’ roll attitude, challenging conventions and celebrating individuality with pieces that push boundaries and reinvent classic styles with a modern twist.

“I learnt about fashion, not from the pages of Vogue, but from what David Bowie, Mark Bolin and punks, like the Sex Pistols wore,” Richmond told FashionUnited in an interview ahead of the presentation. “That to me, is what fashion was. That’s where my DNA comes from.”

Richmond showed his rebellious punk spirit and unconventional approach to fashion with his return to London Fashion Week, stepping away from the traditional catwalk show to share an unapologetic celebration of British street style, music and glamour with a presentation-cum-party in the Tanks of the Tate Modern on the banks of the River Thames.

“I have been wanting to do something back in London for some time,” added Richmond. “It has always seemed obvious that showing in the place where I get my inspiration would add to the perception of the collection. To me it was just as if the characters / personalities walked in off the street. They aren’t foreign, they’re at home.”

There were no models, just a sensory experience with stark black-and-white visuals projected onto the walls of the brutalist space set to the soundtrack of The Verve’s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. It was a raw and immersive statement paying tribute to the birthplace of his bold vision, while pushing boundaries and staying authentically true to his style, inspiration and approach to fashion.

The British designer worked with his long-time friend British photographer, filmmaker, former musician, and co-founder of the Buffalo movement on the AW25 presentation, which brought together his love of fashion, art and music with his signature anarchic twist. Alongside Morgan’s images were bright red text phrases, such as ‘To Keep Moving Forward, You Need to Lose the Past,’ ‘Positive Anarchy,’ ‘Destroy, Disorientate, Disorder’ and ‘Hardcore Religion is a Dancebeat,’ which can also be seen emblazoned across key pieces in the collection.

Richmond added: “I have known Jamie Morgan since the Ray Petri / Buffalo days of the 80’s. I’ve always loved how he captures style; he makes models look believable as if they are just super cool and effortless and captures that in the photograph.

“He’s known me for so long he knows what ‘John Richmond’ is. We didn’t start with any references, he brought ‘Jamie Morgan’ to the shoot, and I provided ‘John Richmond’. The results are magical.”

John Richmond returns to his roots for AW25

For AW25, Richmond said his ‘Lost Love’ collection draws on subcultures, such as 80’s goths and Blitz girls, with a hint of Punk, new wave, and the mod. It subverts the classics and features multi-embellished dark jacquards, oversized 'furred' throw-over coats and bomber jackets, bleached denim, and elegant silk dresses with overlaid ‘punk’ tour prints and satin lapel dinner jackets armoured in elongated heavy luxurious cashmere overcoats.

“Britain is rich in subcultures and music, it is a constant in my work,” explains Richmond. “The interpretation of all these inspirations is a collection rich in detail, fabrics, applications, architectural seams and silhouettes, fish tail skirts and extreme boot cut trousers. Its bordering on Couture in many pieces.”

The collection is an exploration of proportions, with oversized jackets and knits styled against exaggerated kick-out ‘fishtail’ skirts, trousers and jeans. The punk spirit is also woven throughout with multi-pleated trousers, kilts and bondage straps.

Highlights include trench coats embellished with a tattoo print and adorned with patches and cross charms, while tailored pieces and dresses were customised with studs, safety pins, and diamanté detailing, and jacquard suits with flash tattoos on them. Other looks included double-laced tulle T-shirts, embellished shirting around the cuffs and collar, textured 'mohair' chunky knits, satin bomber jackets, and hooded capes.

John Richmond – a legacy in authenticity and craftsmanship

Richmond is a relentless creative person, who is constantly refining his signature aesthetic, fusing high-end tailoring with the raw, unapologetic attitude of the streets. His fashion journey started at Kingston Fashion School in London, where he drew on the energy of the capital city, which in the early ‘80s was an epicentre of creativity, bringing together music, fashion, and club culture.

Inspired by the post-punk ethos of the “I can do that” attitude, Richmond launched his eponymous label soon after graduating in 1982, making an impact with his deconstructed tailoring collection. By the mid-1980s, Richmond had expanded his creative vision, collaborating with his then-girlfriend, Maria Cornejo, and securing licensing deals in Italy and Japan. A couple of years later the pair went their separate ways and Richmond went back to working on his eponymous label, creating clothes exuding a rebellious elegance worn by the likes of David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Madonna.

This was also the era of his big international break, with his now infamous tattoo leather jacket, which combined youth and rebellion with tattoos printed down the sleeves of the jacket and the innovative double-breast suit jacket featuring motorbike leather sleeves, which was ahead of its time.

“Every pop star had one and it became synonymous with the John Richmond name,” explains the designer.

The 1990s saw Richmond’s influence extend beyond London as he established deep connections in Italy, moving production there while maintaining his design roots in the UK. His second label, ‘Destroy,’ launched in 1990 and became “a hit with the club kids” of the ‘90s rave scene, blending rock, punk, and street culture. In the early 2000s, his iconic ‘Rich’ jeans took the catwalk by storm, cementing his place as a pioneer of luxury streetwear.

Now, the John Richmond brand is a head-to-toe offering, dropping four mainline collections a year for women and men, alongside a growing kidswear business, which utilises the strong graphics, prints and the rock ‘n’ roll vibe of the brand, as well as footwear, perfume, and jewellery.

The John Richmond brand is also branching out into designing interiors for luxury residences, five-star hotels and cafes in partnership with the Mira Group. The first projects are expected to be built across the UAE, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah.

Commenting on the project, Richmond said: “When I was sixteen, I was accepted at Manchester University to study architecture. At the last minute, I changed my mind and went to London to study fashion. I never lost my love of architecture, and to be involved in this venture is like all my dreams come true.”