London Fashion Week Runway Review
An Ode to Orpheus
Patrick McDowell’s AW24 collection was not your average runway, but a dramatic performance that married music with fashion in a way that stood out from the rest of the emerging designers who showcased at London Fashion Week18th February 2024
The unforgettable evening began with a mist engulfing the stage. Startling spotlights lowered to face the crowd, creating an imposing atmosphere in the room, before Gavin Roberts’, the pianist's, footsteps echoed in the anticipating silence as he made his way across the wooden stage to the piano.
The piano beautifully set the scene for the rest of the violins, cellos, flutes and vocalists to join in. The models casually yet elegantly ambled across the back of the stage before making their way down the stairs to the podium at the front for all the crowd to see. The first look featured a bronzed brown overcoat with padded hips that oozed profound design mixed with Patrick’s own signature delicacy. We went on to witness tailored waistcoats, full length jackets and tulle details, the collection married office tailoring with chic opera decadence in column strapless dresses and versatile white gowns.
Patrick referenced childhood memories of music in his Liverpool hometown for this collection as he observed,
‘both (music and fashion) are expressions of art, exuding drama, and carrying messages that resonate deeply’.
The whole manifesto was about taking discarded, unloved instruments and fabrics alike, to create a collection that reimagines the world of fashion as we know it. Palazzo trousers, puffball pockets and pinstripe ball gown skirts were centre stage. From oversized shirt cuffs to shank buttoned dresses the music inspired the design from beginning to end. One of my favourite pieces was one a kind, quite literally, a corset made from the wooden structure of a cello by Guildhall student Lauren Jones. She deconstructed and reconstructed old instruments to create breath-taking pieces that flowed with the musical energy of the collection as well as the brand's sustainable ethos. The designer restored beauty, from recycled fabrics and TENCEL fibres the emphasis was on sustainable luxury and disruptive design.
It was a show with clearly so many brilliant creatives behind the magic, from lighting and set to music and design not one detail was missed. As the room erupted in Orpheus’ symphony, it felt as though I was witnessing something as legendary as Maison Margiela’s Paris couture show as it had all the same provoking design and history rich styling. The audience around me had tears in their eyes as I joined them in Patrick’s immensely deserved standing ovation for the finale of the show. Watching the audience softly sift out of the hall after the lights went down it was clear the performance had pulled heartstrings and evoked memories of a time when life felt a little like Orpheus’ Ball, so we can only look forward to what the designer has in store for us next time.