At London Fashion Week, SABIRAH’s ‘Loving Modestly’ Told a Runway Love Story with Elegance and Emotion
by Marvel Gyamfi-Asante
SABIRAH's SS25 collection, ‘Lovingly Modest,’ showcased during London Fashion Week on Friday, September 13th at Lancaster Gate, felt like a runway love story.
Through elegant outfits, vibrant pops of colour, and an emotional tone, designer and creative director Deborah Latouche effortlessly blended a theme of love into each piece, creating a collection that was both visually stunning and deeply symbolic.
From the moment the first model stepped onto the runway, it was clear that love inspired the collection. The background music, Nat King Cole’s “LOVE,” set a nostalgic, heartfelt tone. The models’ graceful walk, like a bride walking down the aisle, perfectly matched the theme of love and allowed the audience to fully appreciate each detail.
In SABIRAH’s collection, the magic was in the finer details. The floral set design suggested blossoming love. The blooms added depth, framing the models in an atmosphere that highlighted growth, beauty and emotion.
The dresses themselves were equally symbolic. Some designs hinted at traditional white wedding dresses but with a modern twist - a pop of color, bright makeup, or eye-catching hair. Moving away from the classic bride, these elements provided a fresh and creative take on modesty. This approach perfectly aligns with the collection's name, "Loving Modestly."
One dress truly stood out from SABIRAH’s 1.8 collection, catching everyone's eye with its distinctive design. Featuring smooth fabric and a sash that flows behind, like a wedding veil, it combines classic elegance with a modern touch. The simple silhouette gives a feeling of refined modesty, while the headpiece decorated with pearls adds a touch of luxury. This look perfectly captures the collection’s romantic glamour, making it one of the most memorable designs on the runway and emphasising the brand’s signature style of luxury modest wear.
While the core theme of love was clear, SABIRAH’scollection didn’t fall into traditional clichés. The use of bold colour suits and unexpected styling added a modern edge. Bright blues, soft pastels and whites dominated the palette, but it was the careful mixing of these shades that gave the collection a romantic yet contemporary feel.
The bold suits and two-piece sets, though different in colour and pattern, shared a similar style with many featuring a bow on the collar or waistline, creating a sense of unity. This detail highlights that love can take many forms, including communal, beyond just romance. As Latouche mentioned in Schwarzkopf’s Instagram story highlights under “LFW SS 25,” the collection is also about togetherness, “we’re going for a feeling and the feeling is love.” The collection is inspired by what she believes “we really need in the world.”
Beyond the outfits, the makeup and hair greatly enhanced the collection. The lady sitting next to me, a friend of Kim Howells, one of the stylists, mentioned her friend's passion for styling, which was evident in the looks. The bold statement cheeks in reds and pinks, along with dramatic hairstyles, introduced a lively energy that made the collection feel unique and engaging.
Nick Irwin, Schwarzkopf’s global ambassador, and his team aimed to bring a couture touch to the runway. As he shared in a Schwarzkopf Instagram story, “Hair this season is really special.” He explained that the inspiration focused on sensory themes of empathy and unity. The collection is about storytelling as much as style, with each look expressing different types of love through soft fabrics, bold makeup and the walk of the models.
At London Fashion Week, the SABIRAH Loving Modestly collection 1.8 showed that fashion is more than clothing, it’s about what’s beneath. Every detail, from the music and set design to the outfits, was chosen to represent love. Latouche’s collection stands out in fast fashion by highlighting fashion’s deeper meaning and its ability to create genuine emotions.
Edited by Emily Duff