Paul Costelloe Spring/Summer 2027

Opening London Fashion Week, William Costelloe looked to one of the house's most recognisable style icons for Spring/Summer 2027: Princess Diana.

Paul Costelloe opened London Fashion Week with a collection that looked unmistakably to the past while keeping one foot firmly in the present. For Spring/Summer 2027, creative director William Costelloe paid homage to Princess Diana, a defining figure in the house's history, bringing elements of her famously polished wardrobe back to the runway. Strong shoulders, pussy-bow blouses and silk headscarves immediately recalled the power dressing of Diana's era, but the collection avoided becoming a straightforward exercise in nostalgia.

Tailoring provided the backbone, with structured silhouettes softened by linen, silk and lightweight cotton. Crisp blue-and-white shirting brought a distinctly summery freshness, appearing through oversized cuffs, statement bows and softly pleated shapes. The proportions felt relaxed rather than rigid, allowing the tailoring to retain its authority without losing the ease expected of a summer wardrobe.

The colour palette stayed deliberately restrained: navy, cornflower blue, cream, white and soft neutrals gave the collection an elegant consistency and allowed the construction and fabrics to do much of the talking. There was something particularly effective about the contrast between the sharper shoulders and softer materials, with familiar power-dressing codes made lighter and more fluid for a contemporary wardrobe.

For William Costelloe, now in his second collection at the helm of the family house, the reference to Diana feels less like an attempt to recreate an icon than a way of reconnecting with a visual language already embedded in the Costelloe story. The result is a collection that understands why those clothes remain so recognisable: the bow, the shoulder, the headscarf and the tailored suit still have the ability to communicate confidence. At Paul Costelloe, the past isn't being archived just yet.

Photography: Madame Figaro