Designer Molly Goddard recently moved away from the grand Seymour Leisure Center to her Bethnal Green studio, which has been her work home for the past five years. The designer’s latest collection was showcased in her new atelier, and the models emerged from the door to reveal a collection of versatile and casually applicable forms.
Goddard’s biggest challenge for the season was to resist doing what comes easiest to her, which is creating big, bright, and colorful showstoppers. Instead, she used her signature material in more versatile forms and used her knitwear mindset to create texture. The designer also integrated grosgrain ribbon into topcoats and blazers, resulting in rethought prep school blazers. The collection also featured tulle and denim, with the only showstopper being a pale gray, bias-cut piece with barely any frills.
Personal nostalgia and memories of clothes from the past provided some key creative inspirations for Goddard. The oversized poppers on the shoes and shirred ruched bags were inspired by a Gap Kids belt that Goddard shared with her sister Alice, who styled the show. There was also a broader atmosphere of rose-tinted campus remembrance, reflecting Goddard’s recent feeling of being “freaked out by the fashion world“.
Goddard’s decision to move away from the grand Seymour Leisure Center and showcase her collection in her own studio allowed her to reclaim her agency and present a collection that was created on her own terms. With no need for a showstopper, Goddard’s collection impressed with its versatility and personal touch.
