Matthew Williamson is returning to London Fashion Week in September. The British designer promised to “come home”, a move which will delight fans at the show's 25th anniversary.

The event's organisers lured Burberry back from Milan last week after an eight-year absence. Williamson, whose collection for H&M sold out in under an hour at the chain's flagship Regent Street store in April, has been showing in New York for nine years. He officially left for the US in 2002 but made a one-off appearance in London in 2007.

Now he hints that his return to London may be for good. The Manchester-born designer said: “It's obvious that the British Fashion Council is pulling out all the stops to make September's event as good as it can be. A key advantage for me is to be part of London Fashion Week itself. I'm a British designer, I live in London, I work in London, so personally I want to show here. We'll just have to see how this one goes.”

Williamson moved to the US to show his work on a higher profile stage with contemporaries Luella Bartley, Jonathan Saunders and Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi's Preen. He was encouraged to return by the BFC's plans to celebrate the biannual event's 25th anniversary, a significant boost for London as it fights New York, Milan and Paris to attract international talent.

Williamson, a judge at the London College of Fashion's graduate show, said the capital needed to show dedication to established designers. “Returning to show here sends out a hopeful signal that London can be more than just a city that generates new talent. I hope it also sends a message that London can nurture talent,” he said.

Also confirmed for September's show at Somerset House are Bartley, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Jaeger, Nicole Farhi and Giles Deacon.