Paul Costelloe SS27 opened London Fashion Week: William Costelloe's second collection, Eighties shoulders in navy, cream and white, a hand-drawn fox

Paul Costelloe opened London Fashion Week's spring/summer 2027 season on 17 September with William Costelloe's second collection as creative director, shown at Banking Hall near Liverpool Street after years at the Waldorf Hilton. It stayed a family operation: William's sister Jessica Costelloe worked the door, and the fox that opened the show was drawn by Nicholas Costelloe. Mollie King and Roxy Horner sat front row. The finale song carries its own resonance. Costelloe is the second London house in September to close a show on the late Dolly Parton, after Vin + Omi.

The weekly

NewsletterWeekly One email a week. Every post from the week, and what didn't fit on a slide. Free. Never shared. Unsubscribe any time.

The post, as it ran

01PAUL COSTELLOE OPENED LONDON FASHION WEEK WITH EIGHTIES SHOULDERS, PUSSY-BOW SHIRTS AND SILK HEADSCARVES, WILLIAM COSTELLOE'S SECOND COLLECTION FOR HIS FATHER'S HOUSE.

02THE PALETTE WAS HELD TO NAVY, CREAM AND WHITE, WITH SKY BLUE AND BUTTER YELLOW ARRIVING LATE. PRINT WAS SCARCE.

03THE STYLING WENT FURTHER THAN THE HOUSE USUALLY DOES: BLAZERS OVER SWIMSUITS, OUTERWEAR OVER BRALETTES, OVERSIZED BEACH BAGS AND CLUTCHES.

04BELOW THE WAIST: FLOWING CULOTTES, BUBBLE-HEMMED CAPRIS, BALLOON TROUSERS, THEN KNITTED AND TAILORED HOT PANTS.

05THE NAUTICAL LOOKS RAN ON NAVY STRIPES, GAUZY PIRATE BLOUSES AND OVERSIZED BUTTONS, THE BUTTONS BLOWN UP TO EIGHTIES SCALE ON OVERSIZED JACKETS.

06THE SHOW OPENED WITH A HAND-DRAWN ANIMATION OF THE HOUSE FOX BY NICHOLAS COSTELLOE, A HOMAGE TO PAUL. HAND-DRAWN SCARVES FOLLOWED IT ONTO THE RUNWAY.

07THE FINAL LOOKS WERE CUT FROM FERGUSON'S IRISH LINEN AND MAGEE: APPLIQUE FLORAL DRESSES, SHORTS AND BLAZERS, WALKED TO DOLLY PARTON'S HERE YOU COME AGAIN.

08PAUL COSTELLOE DIED ON 21 NOVEMBER 2025, AGED 80. HE WAS PERSONAL DESIGNER TO DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES, FROM 1983 TO 1997, AND THE SHOULDERS AND BIG BUTTONS DATE FROM THAT DECADE.

09WILLIAM'S FIRST COLLECTION, IN FEBRUARY, RAN TO 44 LOOKS. BEFORE THIS ONE HE SAID: "THE DESIGN AND THE FABRIC SHOULD DO THE WORK."

Open on Instagram