Patrick McDowell put on a moving and theatrical display at London Fashion Week, presenting his fall/winter 2026 collection, “The Gaze,” which was a study in silhouette, sustainability and cinematic refinement.
London-based Liverpool are among the most talked-about designers in this season's lineup.
In May last year, McDowell received the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design from the Princess of Wales, and that same month Sarah Jessica Parker wore a custom floral skirt and shirt by Patrick McDowell in And sofurther consolidating the brand's position within haute couture.
After a standout spring/summer ready-to-wear show last September, McDowell showed no signs of doing it again this season.
Inspired by George Platt Lynes, the Vogue photographer of the 1930s and 1940s known for his striking compositions and nuanced studies of the male nude, the collection explored ideas of form, proportion and observation.
“George Platt Lynes’ understanding of form, proportion and elegance was the primary reference for this collection, informing both the silhouettes of the styles and the craftsmanship behind them,” McDowell said.
The set reinforced that narrative. Held at Rambert, the legendary dance academy, in London, dancer Jonathon Luke Baker reclined on a rock surrounded by moss and flowers, dressed in ballet tights, as models walked past him.
Rising and shifting position throughout the exhibition, it moved at a slow and deliberate pace, with a contemplative and introspective presence, a living embodiment of the “gaze” that interrogated the collection.
On the catwalk, the silhouettes stood out. Exaggerated curvy waists and tight tailoring alluded to Dior's “New Look” of the 1940s, while peplums (a trend seen in both London and New York this season) sprang from jackets and dresses to accentuate the waist.
Bow blouses were layered under structured coats and vests, and double-breasted outerwear created a sense of sophistication in the collection.
The color palette was carefully edited: black and deep plum dominated, offset by flashes of ivory. Silk was essential to the collection, giving fluidity to the draped dresses and structure to the corseted bodices. McDowell's signature florals appeared throughout, woven into sculpted dresses and sharply cut separates.
There was a clear sense of old Hollywood glamor—ornate goblets, exquisite draping, and sartorial sculptures that evoked a bygone era—but the execution seemed firmly contemporary.
Button-down dress coats and tailored vests anchored the more romantic elements, such as floral and drop-waist dresses, ensuring the collection perfectly balanced sensuality with control.
The headpieces only amplified the drama, from wide-brimmed hats to feather headdresses, which added height and theatricality while echoing the collection's vintage references.
McDowell worked with Irish milliner Patrick Treacy to create the hats. Treacy was awarded a Royal Warrant by Queen Camilla in 2024.
As always, sustainability was the foundation of the show.
McDowell is known for transforming deadstock fabrics into pieces reminiscent of traditional couture houses, reconstructing trench coats into corsets and sculpted skirts, and turning vintage textiles into modern eveningwear.
Production runs remain deliberately small, and many garments are made to order to avoid overproduction. Customers can return pieces for reconditioning as their bodies change, reinforcing longevity over disposability.
That commitment has its roots in McDowell's early years. Long before Central Saint Martins or their placements at Burberry, they were repurposing discarded materials into bags to sell at school at age 13 – an instinct to transform the overlooked into the desirable that continues to define the brand.
With “The Gaze,” McDowell combined theatrical staging, classic tailoring and a disciplined palette to deliver a collection that seemed both nostalgic and refreshing. By framing glamor through the lens of sustainability and authorship, they delivered a show that was as thoughtful as it was visually dazzling.
