Edeline Lee surprises London Fashion Week with book launch instead of runway show

Edeline Lee surprised London Fashion Week guests with a book launch instead of a traditional runway show, marking 15 years of her brand with a reflective, salon-style presentation at The Peninsula London.

Invited attendees arrived expecting an autumn/winter 2026 catwalk. Instead, they were handed a limited-edition volume, Edeline Lee Fifteen Years, documenting the designer’s collections and collaborators to date.

Models posed for photographers in an intimate presentation space before guests moved upstairs to the Brooklands Bar, where the new-season looks circulated through the crowd.

“The last few months have been a time of deep reflection, both for me and the entire team while we produce this book,” Lee said, describing the publication as a strictly limited run. Inserts detailing the autumn/winter 2026 collection will later be added to each copy – a gesture that mirrors the brand’s emphasis on longevity and evolving design.

While the format was unexpected, the clothes themselves reinforced Lee’s core signatures, albeit with subtle shifts.

Known for sculptural dresses engineered through intricate, small-scale pattern cutting, Lee revisited her hallmark sunray pleating and circular construction. But this season, there was a noticeable expansion of trousers and separates, signalling both commercial growth and a broader shift in how women are dressing.

“We were looking back […] over so many years and so many different projects,” Lee told the Press Association. “There’s a lot of new development in the really tiny pattern cutting – like the trousers, which is a really big growing category for us right now.”

That focus was evident in sharply cut, high-waisted trousers styled with draped tops and tailored blazers.

The silhouettes retained Lee’s architectural precision but felt more modular and day-to-night adaptable. Wide-leg navy trousers paired with fluid blouses suggested a move towards elevated workwear, structured yet soft, aligning with a wider runway trend favouring powerful but wearable tailoring.

Colour played a significant role. A saturated cobalt blue emerged as a standout across multiple looks, from pleated midi dresses to structured jackets. The vivid shade – already gaining momentum on international runways this season – is poised to become a key colour story moving into autumn/winter.

Against Lee’s otherwise restrained palette of navy, rust and ivory, cobalt stood as bold but controlled, injecting energy without overwhelming her refined aesthetic.

Texture also came to the fore. Pleated capes and mid-length skirts introduced movement, while a tailored navy blazer was punctuated with a cascading white embellishment along one lapel – a decorative gesture that avoided excess through careful placing.

Elsewhere, a dramatic cage-like overskirt constructed from vertical bands flared outward from the hips over slim trousers, offering a sculptural counterpoint to the otherwise fluid silhouettes.

Even the eveningwear maintained an element of restraint. A fully sequinned gold gown shimmered under the lights but was cut with a high neckline and streamlined A-line silhouette, favouring pared-back poise over overt sensuality. In contrast to more overtly revealing collections elsewhere on the schedule, Lee’s glamour felt measured.

Among those attending was broadcaster and restaurant critic Grace Dent, a long-time supporter of the brand. “I love this label. It’s my go-to when I need to look strong and confident and put together,” she told PA. “I wore this label for the very first photo that I ever had when I took over MasterChef, because I felt like it gave out [the right] message.”

The salon-style format allowed guests to study these details up close: the intricacy of the pleats, the precision of the waist seams, the subtle engineering that gives Lee’s garments their sculptural form without stiffness.

While the surprise book launch invited reflection, the clothes suggested evolution rather than nostalgia. The increased presence of trousers, the push into saturated cobalt and the continued refinement of architectural daywear point to a brand responding to how its clientele live now.

Fifteen years in, Edeline Lee chose not to stage a grand runway statement, instead offering  something arguably more assured; a reaffirmation of her design ethos while looking forward to a new chapter.