Runway Rumour

“Just when we thought fashion weeks were the playground of heritage houses and slow luxury, fast fashion has slipped back under the spotlight, cue the collective gasp (and eye roll).”

Fast fashion is back on the runway, babes, and honestly, it’s giving me whiplash. Just when we thought fashion weeks were sacred temples of luxury, craftsmanship, and the occasional diva meltdown, H&M decided to sashay into London Fashion Week 2025 like it was the Met Gala. Lights, cameras, top models, it was less “affordable basics” and more “pretend high-fashion cosplay.” And then, of course, Shein had to make its own cameo with Paris pop-ups and a cheeky flirtation with Vancouver Fashion Week before being yeeted off the guest list after public outrage. Because nothing says “we’re part of the high fashion conversation” like showing up uninvited and hoping nobody notices you brought polyester to a silk party.

The irony is almost too delicious. Luxury brands can’t shut up about sustainability, darling, it’s their favourite accessory right now, like pearls or a tiny handbag that can’t fit your phone. Yet suddenly, they’re rubbing elbows with the very brands that churn out clothes faster than you can say ‘new drop, babes’. Runway was supposed to be sacred, a chapel to artistry, tailoring, drama. But now? It’s giving LED billboard with a champagne bar. I mean, points for audacity. If you’re going to crash the couture table, at least do it with confidence.

But wait, the plot thickens. Shein didn’t just send a few influencers to Paris; they opened a full-blown pop-up in the Marais district. Picture this: a 850-square-meter “apartment” styled to mimic Parisian neighborhoods, complete with nine themed rooms from Belleville to Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Visitors could “hunt for styles” through curated events, all while Shein showcased its own products and those from brands on its platform. Talk about crashing the Parisian chic scene with a vengeance.

And let’s be honest: it kind of works. Fast fashion is like that toxic ex, problematic, messy, but somehow always in your DMs when you’re bored. It’s fast, global, TikTok-friendly, and it knows how to serve a spectacle. H&M’s show had more cameras flashing than a Kardashian birthday dinner. But here’s the rub: for every applause in the front row, there’s an entire army backstage calling it what it is, greenwashing with a strobe light. We know these brands are ethically shakier than a stiletto on cobblestones, and yet, here we are, watching the show like moths to a very problematic flame.

And let’s not forget Topshop, returning with a Trafalgar Square show that was less ‘fast fashion’ and more ‘fast-forward nostalgia.’ Joni and Jamie jeans strutted like it was 2012, but with better Wi-Fi. The irony is almost too delicious. Luxury brands can’t shut up about sustainability, darling, it’s their favourite accessory right now, like pearls or a tiny handbag that can’t fit your phone. Yet suddenly, they’re rubbing elbows with the very brands that churn out clothes faster than you can say ‘new drop, babes’. Runway was supposed to be sacred, a chapel to artistry, tailoring, drama. But now? It’s giving LED billboard with a champagne bar. I mean, points for audacity. If you’re going to crash the couture table, at least do it with confidence.

So is this the democratisation of fashion, finally opening the runway to everyone, not just the silk-robed elite? Or is it the dilution of fashion week into a glorified shopping mall catwalk, where couture and mass-market polyester get equal billing? Depending on who you ask, it’s either the boldest move in fashion or the beginning of the end. Personally, I think it’s both. It’s messy. It’s contradictory. And it’s iconic in the way only fashion can be, because darling, if there’s one thing this industry loves more than sustainability, it’s a good old-fashioned identity crisis served on a silver platter.

At the end of the day, whether you clap or cancel, you will watch. Because nothing screams runway drama louder than fast fashion pretending it belongs in the same sentence as haute couture. And if fashion week is about spectacle, chaos, and a touch of hypocrisy, then guess what? Fast fashion isn’t just crashing the party; it is THE PARTY! Grab your popcorn, because this is one show that’s too messy to miss.