PAUL COSTELLOE

Our first show of the season began with structure.

With shoulders that did not apologise.

With tailoring that entered the room before the wearer did.

At Paul Costelloe, AW26 unfolded as a powerful alignment with our current theme Angelomania. Not the fragile angel, but the architectural one. The guardian. The figure defined by presence and proportion.

Under the direction of William Costelloe, the collection stood firmly in the house’s tailoring heritage while pushing it forward with sharpened clarity. Strong, sculpted shoulders carved out silhouettes that felt almost celestial in scale as well as protective yet elegant. There was discipline in the cut, confidence in the construction.

British and Scottish heritage codes ran through the collection like memory: Irish wools and Magee tweeds, earth-toned browns, creams, and cable knits grounding the show in craft and lineage. Yet nothing felt nostalgic. The proportions were bold. The layering precise. Corsetry met fluid silk and organza. Oversized collars framed the face like halos reimagined in wool.

A refined dialogue between structure and softness defined the rhythm. Wide pleated trousers introduced movement; full cashmere ribs and sculpted knitwear added dimension. Tonal dressing, blouses, ties, colour-on-colour the styling was reinforced with a sculptural clarity.

And then the jewellery.

In collaboration with PK Bijoux, statement pieces constructed from repurposed medals, chains, and buckles punctuated the tailoring with metallic weight. The bags echoed that impact with a bold impact, assured and uncompromising. Accessories here were not afterthoughts; they were punctuation marks.

The finale shifted into black and charcoal, sequined tuxedos, diamante button details, fluid jacquards catching the light with restraint rather than excess. A quiet crescendo.

More than a show, it felt like a declaration: of legacy, of transition, of pride.

For LUMEN, Angelomania is about power carried with grace. At Paul Costelloe, we saw exactly that.

Backstage footage by Debbie Bragg