“This is us,” said Molly Goddard following her show, which was a departure from previous seasons. Gone were the pumped-up skirts and yards of tulle, and in their place were slimmer silhouettes with a sporty, schoolgirl edge.
Out went the big venue, too. In the past, Goddard has shown in places such as the vast gym at Seymour Leisure Centre and the grand Central Hall Westminster. This time, the show took place in her east London studio space, with fewer guests and photographers, and not much in the way of a set.
Asked about the pivot, Goddard said it felt like the right time to go back to the source. “I love this studio. We make everything here, and it’s a very special place. It felt very honest to say ‘This is where we are, and this is what we do,’” said the designer.
She took the same back-to-basics approach to the collection, revisiting the clothes that she wore, and coveted, as a fashion-loving teenager and glossy magazine devotee.
The collection was more casual than in the past, and had a sportier edge, as in a ribbed wool skater dress, and a long, pleated tennis dress with 1920s verve.
School uniforms showed up, too, in the form of a gray wool coat adorned with colored velvet stripes; sturdy cardigans with a single tuck at the front; and a navy tailored jacket layered over a raspberry tulle skirt.
Goddard didn’t dispose of all her big volumes. Flouncy strapless prom dresses, some covered in leopard print, and a sheer yellow tulle one with black seams nodded to the designer’s signature styles, which costume designers loved, and high-street brands loved to copy.
The result was charming, if low-key, and less of a statement-maker than Goddard’s past outings.
“We like to make clothes, and remembering that felt quite nice this season,” said the designer. “We were just making clothes that felt quite practical, ones that will get worn, and get worn out.”
Who could blame her? There’s a business to be run, and different price points to consider at a time when consumers are trying to buy less and rent, repair and resell their clothing, all in the name of sustainability.
