Chet Lo AW26 Night Market Brings Hong Kong’s After-Dark Energy to London Fashion Week

After a one-season pause, Chet Lo reentered the London Fashion Week calendar with Night Market, a Fall Winter 2026 collection that trades quiet introspection for collective presence. Staged at the Mandarin Oriental in London, the show translated the kinetic spirit of Hong Kong’s evening bazaars into a layered fashion narrative grounded in memory, identity, and community.

The presentation signaled a meaningful evolution in Lo’s creative trajectory. Earlier collections focused on establishing a distinct point of view. Night Market shifts the lens outward, positioning the brand as both host and cultural convener. The result felt less like a traditional runway and more like an immersive gathering shaped by shared experience.

Hong Kong Memory as Design Language

For Lo, the night market operates as emotional infrastructure. In Hong Kong, these evening bazaars function as informal meeting grounds where daily life spills into public space. The designer channels that atmosphere into garments that balance intimacy with visibility.

The collection’s palette of black, green, crimson, and charcoal echoed the visual rhythm of neon slicing through humid night air and the layered shadows created by tightly packed crowds. The mood was deliberate and grounded, reinforcing the collection’s focus on presence.

Signature Textures Continue to Evolve

Since launching his label, Lo has built a recognizable vocabulary anchored in merino wool spike techniques and body-contouring knitwear. These pieces walk a careful line between protection and softness. In Night Market, those established codes remain intact but feel more expansive.

The spiked merino elements still suggest a form of wearable armor, yet the silhouettes lean into fluidity. The second-skin knits maintain their romantic sensibility while introducing a sharper sense of public confidence. It is clear the designer is no longer proving his aesthetic. He is refining it.

Peking Opera Influences Take Focus

One of the collection’s most striking visual throughlines appeared in the feathered eyewear. Drawing inspiration from Chinese theatrical traditions and Peking opera costuming, these pieces framed the face while partially obscuring it. The gesture carried dual meaning: adornment as status marker and concealment as self-preservation.

Historically, performers animate these feathers through precise head movements during dramatic moments. On Lo’s runway, the reference translated into a quiet but deliberate theatricality that elevated the styling beyond simple accessory design.

Umbrellas as Emotional Architecture

Umbrellas appeared as recurring motifs throughout the collection, rooted in a personal memory Lo shares with his partner while sheltering at a local market during a storm. In this context, the umbrella becomes both literal and symbolic. It represents pause, protection, and the fleeting intimacy of shared space within a crowded environment.

Spotlight on Asian Creative Communities

Night Market unfolded as more than a fashion presentation. Guests were invited to explore live stalls hosted by designers, artists, jewelers, photographers, and makers across the Asian diaspora. The installation reinforced Lo’s emphasis on collective visibility and creative exchange.

The front row reflected the show’s cultural reach, with attendees including Ella Mai, William Gao, Olivia Hardy, Harris Reed, Patricia Zhou, Chloe Qisha, Cameron Valentina, Rahel Stephanie, Victor Kunda, Tay Thar, Mia Wells, Tam Kaur, Susie Lau, Chris Ly, Mana Kimura-Anderson, Betty Bachz, and Erik Chen.

Industry Partnerships With Purpose

A defining dimension of the AW26 presentation was its commitment to accessibility. In partnership with the Asian People’s Disability Alliance, the event foregrounded visibility and inclusion within Asian communities, positioning disability justice as a core consideration.

Red Flagged supported safeguarding within creative spaces, reinforcing the show’s emphasis on accountability alongside recognition.

Hair & Care CIC Advances Multi-Sensory Fashion

Hair & Care CIC, the Hackney-based nonprofit founded by international hairstylist Anna Cofone, continued its Making Fashion Accessible initiative during the show. The organization has worked across London and Copenhagen Fashion Weeks to create immersive runway experiences for blind and low vision audiences.

For Chet Lo’s AW26 presentation, Hair & Care partnered with Philips Sound to provide high-quality headphones that delivered real-time audio descriptions as models walked. Guests also received products from Authentic Beauty Concept’s Replenish range, which features braille and NaviLens packaging designed to support accessibility.

The initiative reflects Hair & Care’s broader mission to drive long-term structural change within Fashion Week and to normalize accessibility as standard industry practice.

Night Market was supported through partnerships with Belvedere Vodka, Red Flagged, Paula Rowan, WeAreDotDot, Cubitts, Authentic Beauty Concept, Charles & Keith, and Pureseoul. Each collaboration was integrated into the show environment, reinforcing the presentation’s multi-layered ecosystem.

With Night Market, Chet Lo delivers a collection that expands beyond silhouette and surface. The AW26 outing centers on shared space, cultural memory, and the power of visibility within fashion’s global conversation.