LONDON, Feb 19 (Reuters) – William Costelloe paid tribute to his late father, Irish designer Paul Costelloe, on Thursday, as he presented the fashion label’s first collection since its founder’s death in November.
Models wore long jackets and dresses with sculpted shoulders, sharp trouser suits and voluminous blouses as part of the autumn/winter line.
There was plenty of tweed, check and knitwear as well as prints that both father and son, now the brand’s creative director, had worked on in their last collaboration.
Paul Costelloe, who became a fixture at London Fashion Week for four decades, died in November aged 80.
“It’s an honour to him, what he taught me,” William Costelloe told Reuters backstage, saying his first collection went back to the brand’s roots.
“It’s really a celebration of tailoring… making women look incredible, structured shoulders… and then also kind of looking at new silhouettes… these broad shoulders coming in at the waist.”
He chose a colour palette of earthy tones, tan, white and charcoal. Knitwear came in ribbed jumpers with large hoods and short skirts. Models also wore culotte pants or short skirts with large bow-like embellishments.
Accessories included long chunky scarves and oversized handbags.
The show took place on the first day of London Fashion Week, the second leg of the autumn-winter 2026 catwalk calendar, which began in New York and will also head to Milan and Paris.
London Fashion Week runs until Monday.
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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