Sprayground SS26
The Sprayground SS26 show at London Fashion Week felt like stepping into a graphic novel mid action scene; louder, glossier, and more emotionally charged than any lookbook could ever suggest. What began as a luggage and backpack debut quickly unfolded into a full bodied vision of what urban luxury can look like when imagination is given free rein.
The first show of the season is always super exciting and as Sabrina and I walked up to the Freemasons Hall in Covent Garden, we were greeted by a swarm of fashion's up and coming industry insiders. I have never been to a Sprayground presentation before and was only slightly familiar with their product prior to this show. From what I understood, backpacks were a much coveted item but I was not sure what the fashion would have consisted of. Much to my delight, the show was not only ultra imaginative, fun and exciting... It also showcased backpacks a way that's felt like a lucid dream. Inside the iconic Freemasons’ Hall, the atmosphere was part historic monument and part blockbuster set, exactly the sort of context that lets a cult New York accessories brand announce its arrival on the London schedule with conviction.
Sprayground chose its 15th anniversary to make a bold London Fashion Week debut, unveiling a 47 look collection that expanded the brand far beyond “just” carrywear. The runway channeled the gritty, fearless spirit of New York streetwear into a more avant-garde London facing language, transforming travel pieces into protagonists rather than supporting characters. Founder, CEO and chief creative officer David Ben-David used this milestone not as a retrospective but as a launchpad, signaling a new phase where the brand moves from cult accessory label into a full lifestyle universe. That intention was palpable in the way ready to wear, bags and performance driven details moved together as a single, high energy story.
For someone who’d only known Sprayground through the buzz around its backpacks, seeing the house codes explode into full looks was quietly mind bending. The brand’s famous Shark Mouth motif appeared not only on backpacks but also on shirts, trousers and integrated panels, almost like a recurring graphic chorus tying each scene together. The runway pushed the idea of “carrywear” into surreal territory. Teddy bear adorned pieces with hand sewn 3D printed bears, hats crowned with bear ears and sculptural bags that sat somewhere between armor and plush toy. We saw a hot pink ballooned dress, a look seemingly made entirely out of dollar bills and a futuristic white corset lashed together by a vine like structure which created that lucid dream logic where street, fantasy and function could coexist without hierarchy.
Ben-David’s goal to bridge New York and London felt most powerful in the way the show layered collaboration and community into the collection narrative. In true New Yorker style, Sprayground used the runway to tease a capsule partnership with Porsche and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, hinting at a future where architecture, automotive culture and fashion converge inside the brand’s travel ecosystem. The finale turned the historic hall into a concert venue. Sprayground’s Creative Director of Content and musician, Sandflower, closed the show in the final look. Performing an original track as a gospel choir lined the stage. Cameos by Phoenix Brown, Jack Fox, Virginia Bates and Roxy Horner amplified the celebratory mood, making the presentation feel less like a standard runway and more like a cultural block party staged under stained glass ceilings.
What stayed with me long after the confetti cannons burst was not just how playful the show was, but how considered. Despite the spectacle 3D details, cartoonish proportions, high octane graphics, the pieces remained rooted in real life utility. From travel accessories to street ready separates that could easily fold into a daily wardrobe. Sprayground’s LFW debut felt like a statement of intent. A commitment to design that entertains, moves and still works hard for the wearer. For anyone who has ever dismissed backpacks as purely practical, this show was a reminder that function can be a canvas for fantasy and that sometimes, the most honest kind of luxury is the freedom to carry your world on your shoulders, exactly the way you want it.
