Beloved British fashion designer Molly Goddard first made her name with voluminous multi-coloured tulle gowns. For a period of time, you couldn’t look at a red carpet without seeing some chic A-lister rocking a cascading bubblegum pink gown by Goddard, a look that was perhaps best immortalised by Jodie Comer as Villainelle in the first season of Killing Eve. Goddard is synonymous with tulle, and her often extravagant runway shows tend to end with an explosion of gowns, each bigger and more impressive than the last.
But this season she felt like a change of pace. Set at the designer’s Bethnal Green studio in East London, FW23 was a reminder that the Goddard brand offers so much more than their signature silhouette. “The space is basic, stripped back to the bare minimum,” Goddard explained in her show notes. “The perfect setting for a collection that isn’t about drama or optics, but wearability and the joy of dressing.” Cue: shrunken Fair Isle knits (another Goddard staple) styled with matching cardigans, artfully draped knitwear, pleated tennis-style dresses, and sharp everyday coats. Denim made an unexpected appearance, suitably Goddard-ified in colourful leopard print. Speaking of leopard print—it also appeared on full tulle skirts (you didn’t think she’d done away with tulle entirely, did you?) and chic strapless gowns.
Molly Goddard is in many ways a family affair—Alice Goddard, Molly’s sister, styles the shows—and the intimacy of the sisters’ bond was felt throughout the collection. Some looks evoked the traditional school uniform, others had a thrift-shop, devil-may-care sensibility. “[Alice and I] reminisced about the pieces we’d owned as kids and teenagers,” Goddard explained. “Leopard print jeans we’d bought at Gap Kids in Whiteley’s, screen print sporty knitwear from Portobello [Road Markets], an exposes popper belt shared from Claire’s accessories…” The end result is a collection that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly future-facing. Clothes, after all, are made to be worn and loved.
This article originally appeared on GRAZIA AU.