A love letter to the ‘weird girls’: Chopova Lowena, London Fashion Week SS26 review

By Levi Kaye, edited by Charlotte Lewis

Chopova Lowena is a brand synonymous with chaotic energy, and Cheerlore might just be their most chaotic show yet. Staged in a West London sports hall, they kicked off their Spring/Summer ’26 season with a full-on spectacle. The runway itself was impressive. But throw in some foam fingers, popcorn, and mascots greeting guests to their seats, and suddenly it’s less of a runway and more of an experience. 

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And the clothes? Absolute chaos in the best way. The 48-look collection included the iconic pleated carabiner skirt, layered over zip-off dresses that could transform from floor-length to thigh-high. Varsity-inspired knits and patchwork coats brought the story and theme to life, but paired with puffy mesh tops felt very on-brand. The collection even featured some lace-up football bras styled with padded trousers. A really unique Chainmail panel and oversized belt buckles nodded to traditional Bulgarian motifs, reimagined in modern silhouettes. I really loved the overall mix of different textures and patterns. Tartan, leopard fur, snakeskin, and clashing textures created a deliberately messy, visually eye-catching effect, something really playful and bold.

Oftentimes it’s hard to play with textures that clash without leaning slightly into costume territory. Let’s be honest: glitter, chainmail, and football laces shouldn’t make sense together. But in Chopova Lowena’s world, they absolutely do. And a key part of why these out-of-the-box concepts work is how incredibly thoughtful the designs are. Modular zippers, unexpected trims, and embellishments blur the line between craft and costume. It’s messy on purpose, but technically sharp underneath all the noise — exactly the kind of thing I’ve come to love about this brand season after season.

Naturally, the storytelling is what really sets a Chopova Lowena show apart, and the heart of Cheerlore was the reworking of cheerleader culture. Tastefully, it wasn’t about glorifying the all-American queen bee stereotype. Instead, it felt like a love letter to the outsiders — asking, “What happens when the weird girls take over the pep rally?” That’s when the collection came alive. The soundtrack — a mash-up of cheer chants, metal riffs, ASMR whispers, and NFL-style hype voices — created a somewhat disorienting but joyful wall of sound that perfectly matched the visual overload. Together, the story of Cheerlore really came out.

Of course, not every moment landed. A few of the mascot antics leaned into spectacle-for-spectacle’s-sake, and some looks relied a little too heavily on the brand’s Instagram-famous pleated skirts without offering anything new — fair year-on-year critique for a brand playing into what they know. But when the balance was right, as in the velvet and chainmail dresses or the sharp patchwork tailoring, the collection truly worked. Those were the moments where Chopova Lowena’s language felt fresh, pushing forward rather than remixing old hits.

Still, it feels almost lazy to say the imperfections were part of the point, but honestly, Cheerlore wasn’t aiming for a slick, polished fantasy. It felt like that broken, messy world of being that outsider kid was coming to life on the runway. Only a powerhouse brand like Chopova Lowena can bring together a collection so chaotic and camp, yet come across so tailored, clean and intentional. It speaks to their love of the craft, and the power of the weird girls.