With a view to deliver a fresh, contemporary interpretation of a ‘golden age’ in world history, Paul Costelloe unveiled his Autumn/Winter ’22 collection.
From the lavish gold of the Renaissance period, to Tudor style in red and blue and rich van Dyck browns, the regal collection aims to covey all the romance of ‘courtly desire’, by experimenting with a iridescent mix of lavish tweeds from Magee in Donegal, Southern Ireland and exclusive Costelloe prints realised by William Clark in Maghera, Northern Ireland.
Highlights include statement coats presented in pure wools, oversized marl-twist knitwear, metallic-inspired party dresses, tailored tweed jackets and a white-ruffled, exaggerated silhouette statement blouse.
PAUL COSTELLOE AUTUMN/WINTER 2022
Speaking exclusively to LDNFASHION backstage at The Waldorf Hilton hotel in London, ahead of the collection’s official unveiling during London Fashion Week, Mr Costelloe opened up about the Celtic prints and scriptures that inspired his latest work.
“As with the spring/summer collection, I was very much influenced by ‘The Book of Kells’ (a treasured paper that contains the four Gospels in Latin based on the Vulgate text which St Jerome completed in 384AD) but this time we’ve printed on Magee tweed, woven in Southern Ireland and printed in Northern Ireland which, for reasons I won’t go into now, makes somewhat of a political statement, which is something I’m really, very proud of,” Costelloe mused. “In terms of design, I would say I’ve been a little bit more experimental this time around, my team and I have again taken styles from the spring collection, and reproduced them in an Elizabethan-type fabric which has been quite an exciting revelation for us.”
Reflecting upon the fashion house’s creative journey over the course of the last few months, the designer adds: “Truth be told, I think I’ve done more work this season than I have for any other of my previous collections because each time we felt we’d reached our goal for what we set out to achieve, it seemed like the clothes, and designs wanted to tell another story, so that meant going back and re-working things until everything was just right. It’s been gradual, but just as rewarding as ever. One thing I will say though, is that it’s one thing to create a collection, but it’s an all together different beast to then turn it into a visual presentation.”
The fashion mogul admits he has always believed in the importance of creating striking visual representation for each of his collections, as a way to showcase his clothes to customers both old and new. With this in mind, pieces from this season’s collection presented on the catwalk were accessorised with laser-cut bags in gold and silver, along with specially commissioned jewellery from Nidhi Creations of India, and Bláithin Ennis of Ireland.
“I’m a very detail-orientated kind of person so getting a garment made, tailored and accessorised properly is very important to me,” Paul confesses. “Trying to get all of those elements to work together, without being boring can be tricky – but it’s part of creative process and something that I believe is vital to the success of a collection.”
“You know we did three virtual shows throughout the pandemic – which I’m not going to lie, on reflection were a lot easier to curate than what we’re doing here today (laughs), because coming back into this environment is somewhat of a stark reminder of just how much work and thought goes into putting a show together. But, I think this is where we as a team shine, and why ultimately the love for what I do never really fades or goes away.”
As an industry veteran, who has been showing at LFW since 1984, we wonder how does the Irish designer feel at this stage in his career, to be presenting yet another new collection to the world?
“It’s daunting,” Paul says without hesitation. “It is definitely daunting, but in a funny way that’s part of the appeal of continuing on, and probably the reason why I’m still doing this! Being challenged and discovering new ways to create and present clothing is what keeps things fresh. Take this season for example, I’ve found myself very much enjoying the process of experimenting with different hair styles, and seeing how something as simple as a sleek high ponytail or a backcombed curly bob can really elevate each runway look. We’ve cast some incredible models this year, all of whom are different ethnicities, which adds a new dynamic and element to the show, which I’m very excited and inspired by.”
“To feel that kind of burst of creativity is always an exciting feeling for a designer, even for someone of my age (laughs) and though some in the industry may see me as being ‘as old as the hills’ shall we say, I hope that my audience, and just people in general, continue to enjoy my work and still think that after all these years I’m a good designer – that’s all I can ever really hope for.”
