Francesca Lake AW2528 Images
Francesca Lake’s clothes exist along a fashion fault line, between two points of seeming contradiction. Her designs are brazenly maximalist and theatrical – voluminous bubble skirts, ruched ball gowns and dramatic headdresses have been some of Lake’s go-tos since her Central Saint Martins graduate collection in 2021. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the clothes are, for want of a better word, achingly ‘cool’. Bomber jackets, cargo pants, mesh vests and pointed heels comprise the other half of her offering, while a chic and moody palette brings the two vibes together in perfect convergence. With that union, the Jamaican-born Lake delivers a singular aesthetic unlike any other you might’ve seen.
“The work is meant to make you feel something – good, bad or indifferent,” Lake tells us. “The intention is to convey a boldness that takes up space and makes itself known.” That boldness is a direct exploration of Lake’s Jamaican heritage, a culture where she sees pride, poise, and bravado all coming together, for better or for worse. “The way I design is about trying to capture the persona and attitude of our society through clothing,” she continues. And for her AW25 collection, Lake delicately balances that Jamaican maximalism with commercial viability to thrilling effect. Iridescent durags with jangling embellishments are shown alongside hand-dyed peplums and sandblasted denim, for a collection that somehow retains both a maximalist edge and a quite cool.
In the conversation below, we chat to Lake about studying at Saint Martins, her Fashion Mount Rushmore, and a ‘surreal and humbling’ Met Gala moment.
Hey Francesca! Can you tell us a bit about your background in fashion?
Francesca Lake: I’m a designer and multidisciplinary artist from Kingston, Jamaica. I graduated from Central Saint Martin’s MA Fashion course in 2023 with a background in Cultural Studies. A greater understanding of Jamaican culture outside of my lived experience and having more concrete knowledge, rooted in academia, helps to solidify what my clothes are about. Without it, they’re simply just clothes. Through the merging of these two worlds, it gives my garments purpose and meaning.
What is the story behind your AW25 collection, that you’re releasing this August?
Francesca Lake: Previously I’ve explored topics ranging from the comparison of church and the Dancehall, to the upper and working classes, to barrel culture and the school uniform as a means of questioning the notion of what real richness is. As I continue to develop my design language from a commercial point of view, AW25 is an amalgamation of those previous explorations, as I find my balance in challenging social inequalities through story telling and garment construction.
How did growing up in Kingston shape your outlook on fashion?
Francesca Lake: Being fortunate enough to grow up in such a rich culture, the way I design is about trying to capture the persona and attitude of our society through clothing – a mixture of pride, poise, loud bravado, and the point where regality and vulgarity collide and coincide. The work is meant to make you feel something, either as a viewer or a consumer – good, bad or indifferent. The intention is to convey a boldness that takes up space and makes itself known, and without my upbringing that wouldn’t have the same resonance.
A designer from my year at CSM who continues to inspire me is Yaku Stapleton. I admire his fearless imagination and approach to design – Francesca Lake
And how did studying the MA course at CSM shape your career? Are there any other designers from your year who continue to inspire you?
Francesca Lake: One of the most valuable lessons learned while studying at Central Saint Martins was acknowledging the ‘why’ within your work and the emphasis placed on understanding your sense of self and how that influences your practice. That awareness would solidify the way I viewed the world I lived in and its impact on my work. And a designer from my year who continues to inspire me is Yaku Stapleton. I admire his fearless imagination and approach to design.
The aesthetic that you’ve shaped feels so specific to you. How would you describe it, and what are you inspired by?
Francesca Lake: I would describe my conceptual design aesthetic to be very maximalist and a reflection of the loud and proud Jamaican persona. As I continue to refine my ready-to-wear design language, the goal is to find balance within the overt and subdued, where creative courage can coincide with commercial appeal.
Can you walk us through your design process? Do you drape on the body or start out with sketches?
Francesca Lake: It starts with the exploration of each subject matter, research and then exploration of my surroundings. Once a topic of exploration is chosen, observational and theoretical research is done, and then I typically begin my design process with sketching. I’ll narrow my selection down and continue to sketch into different iterations from the original selection. I begin pattern and toile making and make adjustments based on fit and desired outcome.
Erykah Badu wearing your designs to the Met Gala in 2024 was a huge moment. How does something like that feel for a young designer?
Francesca Lake: Words don’t feel quite enough to explain that sentiment. Especially because she reached out directly, it made the experience feel all the more surreal. To be able to be a part of that moment and around the creative process of putting each look together is an extremely humbling experience and I am forever grateful to her for involving me.
Which four designers are in your Fashion Mount Rushmore?
Francesca Lake: Rei Kawakubo, Claude Montana, Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood.
What’s the most ran through item in your wardrobe?
Francesca Lake: Vintage 80s red leather pant.
The most recent picture or screenshot on your camera roll?
Francesca Lake: My most recent screenshot is an antique ottoman belt I have been rabidly searching for for months, and my most recent picture is of sketches from SS26 development.
Who were your fashion icons growing up?
Francesca Lake: Not even growing up, but of all time – Grace Jones, Prince, Slick Rick, Erykah Badu, Jay Kay, Sade and Robin Willams.
Time travel has been perfected – which famous fashion show are you beaming into the front row?
Francesca Lake: Popular opinion: Comme des Garçons SS97, Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body (aka the ‘lumps and bumps’ collection). Unpopular opinion: Claude Montana SS85.
What is your earliest fashion memory?
Francesca Lake: The concept of my aunt making church dresses three times my size for me to be able to grow into.
Please share the most recent note from your Notes app.
Francesca Lake:
Heavy Cording
Round Metal Snaps
Cord Ends
What’s your favourite cornershop snack?
Francesca Lake: Tesco sweet and salty popcorn in the UK, Nicies banana chips in Jamaica.
And what’s the soundtrack for your next show?
Francesca Lake: “Book Book Book” by Bounty Killer, 1997.
Francesca Lake’s AW25 collection is available August 2025 at hlorenzo.com.
