Chopova Lowena Spring/Summer 2026 / SS26 at London Fashion Week
“I am not arrogant. I am confident. I am not a daredevil. I am daring. I am not a beauty queen. I am an athlete. I am not a stereotype. I am my own person. I am not interested in the past. I am living for the future. I am not afraid of success. I am afraid of nothing. I am not another face in the crowd. I am the ones others wish they could be. — a Varsity Cheer Uniform advert,1999”
Welcome to game day!
In the Chopova Lowena clubhouse, we’re all on the same team. This season, we celebrate unity: the sports, symbols, and spirit that bind us together. Inspired by American football, cheerleading, and the silhouettes of Southern Bulgarian Karakachani costumes, the Chopova Lowena “Cheerlore” collection is a hardcore uniform for girls on the field and under the bleachers.
There is no“I” in team… but there is one in individuality. In the collection, we celebrate that push pull of blending in and standing out. Garments that connect us around the world, from pleated skirts to varsity sweaters, appear mixed and mashed with Chopova Lowena’s signature carabiner skirts, new sport jerseys and track pants, and giant faux fur coats. Foot ball lace-up bras and ball bags are literal homages to sport, while shoulder-pad panniers and pom-pom jackets, briefs, and bag stake the grid iron to girldom. 3D-printed boots are like hard cleats for protection and adornment. An overdose of trimmings and adornment embodies the act of dressing up to be seen —performing is a universal reality. Belt buckles and tiered dresses are taken directly from Bulgarian folklore, with jutting and layered silhouettes, and transformed into zip-off layer dresses that can morph from maxi to mini. Zips continue on shoes and jeans, allowing the Chopova Lowena uniform to transform with its wearer. Chainmail pieces draw from Karakachani jewelry to gird us against evil and enmesh us in the long history of girlhood.
Designing Chopova Lowena SS26 / Spring/Summer 2026 collection brought back to the roots of playfulness and experimentation. It looked towards highschool selves—the girls we were and the girls we admired, day dreaming in the bedrooms of winning the big game, kissing the cute boy in the striped hoodie, and being the top of the girl pyramid. The cheerleader is the quintessential girl to us: she’s an athlete, a team player, a leader ,and a performer who welcomes the spotlight. She brings levity and joy, but she’s tough and spunky. She’s a star who shines with the girls who surround her.
Being at the big game isn’t just about what you wear—what you see, smell, and hear matter too. In partnership with Sony, we reimagine our Alto bag in custom fleece, carrying SonyWH-1000XM6 headphones. Ruth, Rosa, and Zhasmina, who will march the runway carrying their fragrances. Chopova Lowena’s debut scents Green Ruth ,Green Root; Queen Rosa, Rosais Queen; and Hay, Zhasmina! perfume the space with olfactive spacial design by London-based Denim—Sykes. The perfume mascots welcome each new scent into the room, bringing our fragrances to life. A collaboration with Chilly’s makes sure even the water boy looks fit—leather harnesses carry steel water bottles adorned with Chopova Lowena charms and patterns.
The fight song is composed by Emma Chopova featuring Laura Lowena-Irons. A Collage of girl brain rot essentials, the sound track is the only place to hear dub and jungle remixes of Bulgarian folk songs, American cheer chants, Laura’s twin girls giggling, angry NFL coach clops, peacocks meowing, a Chopova Lowena cheer chant programmed through a toy rabbit, Emma’s highschool jazz band, a self-help video about emotional regulation, ASMR cheer role play, therapy speak in Darth Vader’s voice, and a British Channel4 documentary about troubled teens. The soundtrack to our mind becomes the sound track for your life. It’s a rallying cry for the weird girls everywhere—we are rooting for you!
With a BIG thank you to the studio team that makes the world go round everyday. Martha Somerfield, Brooke Fernetti, Imogen Dunning, Victoria Pietrasik, Sam Kent and Meg Wells .Thank you to Steff Yotka for being our number one cheerleader and for your ever lasting support and help. Thank you to Nick Tran, Ilana Blumberg, Lisa Salama, Camille Smiley-Jones and our amazing interns. We exist because of Kamen and lolanta Chopov,Rachel and Clive Attwood, Christo and Alexandra, David and Dan, and JelloandIda. A special thank you to Charlotte Wales and Antonio Pignone.
P.S. Lace up your boots, clip on your skirt, let’s fucking GO!
All images Chopova Lowena SS26 / Spring/Summer 2026 by the brand. Credit To Creative Direction: Charlotte Wales Studio / Hair: Kiyoko Odo / Makeup: Lauren Reynolds / Nails: Ella Vivii / Casting: Sarah Small / Set Design: Rory Mullen / PR:A.I.PR / Production: Sophie Marriott / Styling: Chopova Lowena / Music: Chopova Lowena / Olfactive Design Studio: Denim—Sykes