HAUNTED and provocative, LUEDER’s AW26 show Ghosts of My Life at London Fashion Week NEWGEN explored fear, anger and nostalgia through a lens of community, mental health and genderless design. At the heart of the collection was LUEDER’s concept of ‘Mental Armour’: garments created to empower the wearer both physically and emotionally, reflecting the brand’s aim to destigmatise mental health within fashion.
Drawing inspiration from Tobias Spichtig’s paintings, the film Powder and Mark Fisher’s book Ghosts of My Life, the collection conjured a world of tension and seduction, where memory, desire and experiments with radical living collide. Shapes were bold yet subversive, offering an angrier, sexier edge to LUEDER’s signature tailoring.
Pinstriped suiting made its first appearance in the ready-to-wear line, deliberately casual yet evocative of bespoke tradition, while a futuristic lightweight flocked nylon camouflage introduced a technical counterpoint to the emotionally charged textures.
Grey, blue and khaki dominated the colour palette, punctuated by occasional flashes of bright red. Headwear was a defining motif, with hoods and reworked balaclavas adding a protective, medieval feel to the looks. Footwear largely consisted of trainers, alongside chunky boots and black high heels, blending street style and theatricality.
Music, composed by Danny Harle, amplified the show’s emotional energy, combining expansive, pulsating sounds with the garments’ intensity. Casting reflected LUEDER’s community ethos, bringing together musicians, models and creatives from London’s underground scene, including Lava La Rue and Princess Julia. American actress and activist Rose McGowan defiantly closed the show, embodying the collection’s message of empowerment.
by Catherine Rowe-Kosary