A new character has been unlocked in the world of Chopova Lowena and she’s a jack of all trades. She’s a rodeo girl, she’s a gymnast, she’s a Victorian muse and above all, she’s a ‘chukaboo’ – the Victorian-age term of endearment that titled the show. Set in the decrepit basement of old Shoreditch Town Hall, Chopova Lowena reimagined the beguiling female figures of America’s past into a cast of whimsical, rebellious personalities. The bare-bricked venue thumped with the opening beats of Die MF Die by Dope, mixing with the inimitable sound of the Chopova stomp as models hit the runway. As tradition would have it, the recipe for this season’s collection was a melting pot of contradictions, blending folkloric references with heroines of the American West, from the fairies to the witches to the Calamity Janes, all bonding over a mutual fascination with rhythmic gymnastics and Olympic athletes from the 80s and 90s.

Nodding to the costuming trends of the Victorian era saw the first series of looks reimagine bloomers, corsets and tulle skirts in true Chopova style with cascading frills, metal hardware and playful fabrics. Studded and spiked leather outerwear encased models in coats of armour, alongside the brand’s cult carabiner-suspended skirts in iterations of punkish tartan. On the other end of the spectrum, rhinestone-covered swimwear, skimpy sparkling hotpants, leotards finished with tiny tulle skirts and fishnet bodysuits worked in harmony with the layered silhouette of blouses layered over petticoated skirts and pants. Unsurpsingly, the design duo’s penchant for jewellery and attention to detail did not falter for SS25 as models held cutlery in their hair, toy horses adorned skirts and medallions were pinned to belts – the sound of clinking metal doubling as a second soundtrack.

Most notably this season, the brand’s foray into accessories was amped-up. Taking the premise of the Sofia bag with its one-stop-shop of girlhood essentials even further saw the introduction of the Margaret bag in collaboration with Hellmann’s (the nation’s favourite mayo company), designed especially to carry a jar of mayonnaise on the side – strapped in, ready for action. Complete with a Victorian silver spoon and blue charm, only Chopova Lowena could make mayo the hot girl accessory of the season. On foot, a collaboration with Asics made its debut, adorning technical silhouettes with metal hearts and silver charms. Beaded dolls of design duo Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons swung from bags and skirts, putting a piece of themsleves into creations that daughters or sisters or friends will share, bound through sisterhood and rebellion – a loveletter to their chukaboo.