Story by Editor-at-Large CAROLINA OGLIARO
Patrick McDowell’s SS26 show unfolded as both a celebration and a challenge to the industry’s norms. True to his ethos, the designer presented a collection where sustainability was the foundation of every silhouette. Dramatic draping, intricate detailing, and couture-like construction were brought to life through repurposed materials, proving once again that circularity can be elevated and not compromised.
The collection itself balanced structure and softness: sharply tailored jackets softened by fluid skirts, recycled satins reshaped into sculptural eveningwear, and hand-finished embellishments that lent a sense of grandeur without excess. The palette moved between jewel tones, floral prints, and muted earth shades, underscoring the dialogue between glamour and groundedness. There was a sense of intimacy in the air, clothes that seemed to hold history, carrying with them both memory and responsibility.
What emerged was a vocabulary McDowell has been steadily refining over the seasons: garments designed to be traceable, collectible, and lasting beyond the seasonal churn. It was fashion as manifesto, fashion as continuity. By treating sustainability not as a limitation but as a creative catalyst, McDowell carved out a space where storytelling and responsibility merge seamlessly. With SS26, he affirmed his position as one of London’s defining voices, where the city’s avant-garde edge today is inseparable from the urgency of reimagining luxury for the future.
