No one would accuse Petra Fagerström of being a minimalist. Yet, there was something distinctly Swedish about the Gothenburg-born designer’s spring/summer 2027 London Fashion Week runway debut.

“For me, Swedishness isn’t minimalism or clean-girl vibes,” says Fagerström when we meet her backstage moments after the show. “But there’s something melancholic, Bergman-esque about Scandinavia-ness that I love.” Think teeny tiny florals embroidered on sturdy, structured leather or moody lace slip dresses. Even the iced London Fogs handed to guests as they entered the show space had a Swedish twist; the beverages, which came in doily-adorned cups, were concocted in collaboration with Swedish alt-milk aficionados Oatly. Fittingly, the collection was dubbed “Swedish Summer”. 

This may be Fagerström’s first runway show, but the vision has arrived fully—and meticulously—formed; a funhouse view on femininity that the LVMH finalist has been honing for some seasons now. This time around, the Fagerström woman, who revels in unraveling a conservative feminine aesthetic, was served with extra spice. “She’s feeling a little erotic—a little flirty,” says the designer. “It started with me watching The Piano Teacher and thinking how repressed sexuality combusts at some point.” 

Classic silhouettes – a take on a Bar jacket or a sweet cinch-waisted frock—are imbued with saucy contradiction by way of tough-as-nails moulded leather or the designer’s signature lenticular pleating. “I was trying to see how we can hold that erotic side and that strictness and merge them so they don’t combust,” says Fagerström. Elsewhere, laser-cut cheetah-printed leather coats—pieces that the designer describes as a near-impossible math problem—grant glimpses of the body as models make their way down the runway. 

Such a confident debut cannot occur in a vacuum. Fagerstöm honed her chops at Central Saint Martins, but lately support has come by way of London Fashion Week’s NEWGEN incubator as well as the Paul Smith Foundation, which offers both studio space and business mentorship. Then there’s the support of Oatly, which was not simply tasty beverages but a deeper partnership around the show.

“Petra felt like a natural fit because we share that same Swedish spirit of creativity, curiosity and challenging the expected,” says Rowena Roos, Oatly Global Head of Food and Drinks Experience. “We loved the idea of bringing two creative worlds together, fashion and beverage creation, and recognizing that the same thinking goes into both.” It’s not the first time Oatly has supported an emerging Swedish talent; for fall/winter 2026, the brand served bespoke oat beverages as a partner of AVAVAV’s show in Milan. 

The sexual tension may not have fully combusted, but there was a certain euphoric release as Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen” blared through the speakers during the finale, particularly as those last looks – effortlessly sexy sequined numbers – enjoyed their moment. The glimmering garments nod to another aspect of Fagerström’s heritage; her history as a competitive figure skater. Yes, you can take the girl out of Sweden, but you can’t take the Sweden out of the girl.