24 Feb Workspace Resident Raquel De Carvalho Showcases at London Fashion Week

Designer and knitwear innovator Raquel De Carvalho continues to build powerful momentum from her base at the FC Designer Workspace, where she is a resident designer developing her sustainable, craft-led brand. With growing international press coverage and an unmistakable creative signature, Raquel has established herself as one of London’s most compelling emerging voices in contemporary knitwear.

On 23rd February, she unveiled her AW26 collection, “DEVOTION”, during London Fashion Week, supported by Lock Studios, Richard Phillipart, and Fashion-Enter Ltd. The presentation marked a significant milestone in her journey, a confident evolution of both concept and craftsmanship.

“DEVOTION” AW26 is described as a sacred dialogue between maker and garment. At its heart lies the belief that knitting and crochet are ritualistic acts, gestures of care, patience and spiritual offering. For Raquel, making is not simply production; it is a form of worship, healing and fulfilment.

The collection delves deeper into the artisanal processes that define her brand. Working with repurposed materials such as vintage wool sweaters and sheepskin off-cuts, Raquel pushes her meticulous, experimental craftsmanship further than ever before. Signature techniques such as diamond knit and lace crochet are reimagined through a more mature lens, balancing sensuality with strength.

Traditional vintage Aran knits are modernised with printed stripes, asymmetrical cuts and distressed hand stitching. The brand’s core language of delicate, sensual knitwear evolves through new, complex knit structures and asymmetric constructions that sculpt the body while maintaining softness and fluidity.

Sheer lace, present since her debut collection, reappears this season, created through domestic machine knitting using soft grey and green metallic Italian yarns. The result is a quiet interplay between fragility and resilience, tradition and innovation.

AW26 represents a tangible step toward the brand’s pledge to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030. This transition begins with moving away from polyamide furry knits and replacing them with off-cuts and deadstock sheepskin. The initiative aligns with the 2030 sustainability framework developed in collaboration with the British Fashion Council and the Institute of Positive Fashion during the 2025 Carbon Transition Plan programme.

Notably, 80% of the yarns used in the AW26 collection are deadstock. Repurposed organic silk and organic cotton are crafted into unconventional knit constructions, creating versatile garments designed to be worn in multiple ways, encouraging longevity, adaptability and emotional durability.

Accessories further expand this ethos. A new series of bags is crafted entirely from discarded materials. Vintage wool sweaters are deconstructed, mended, darned and printed to evoke the texture of leather, while handles are formed from repurposed belts and finished with delicate crochet trims. What was once overlooked is transformed into objects of renewed purpose and refinement.

Patchwork techniques also play a key role. Knitted off-cuts from the AW25 collection are hand-stitched together into corsets, trousers and bags, ensuring nothing goes to waste while creating entirely one-of-a-kind pieces.

As part of DiscoveryLAB Presents, Raquel made a striking impact with a powerful short film showcasing her sensual, sculptural knitted forms in a bold editorial format. The film was a confident articulation of craft, identity and innovation, further cementing her growing reputation internationally.

From her studio at FC Designer Workspace to the global stage of London Fashion Week, Raquel De Carvalho exemplifies a new generation of designers redefining luxury through devotion to craft, to sustainability and creativity.

Images from Raquel De Carvalho’s AW26 ‘Devotion’ Look book and film.