Paul Costelloe | SS25 – noctismag.com

Paul Costelloe is perhaps best known for classically British design. Alongside his family, Costelloe owns and operates his business from the heart of London, and throughout his career he’s been awarded distinctly British accolades such as being appointed personal designer to Diana, Princess of Wales. However, for Spring/Summer ‘25 the designer brought the spirit of Paris to London Fashion Week. With a ballroom at the Waldorf Hotel serving as an appropriately cinematic substitute for the Boulevard Saint-Germain, the collection interpreted the French capital through a youthful lens: separates, dresses and tailoring were pastel-coloured and crystal-embellished, hemlines were short and the hair bouffant.

Entitled ‘Le Ciel est Bleu’, the Paris that this show channelled is the one found only at the height of summer. It opened with a group of models in matching pale blue sets made from airy Irish linen with tartan trims – a nod to the designer’s Irish-American heritage yet still a worthy option for a Parisian heatwave. The collection then graduated into a series of wearable everyday options with a girlish twist – think ruffles, headbands and over-the-knee socks in rainbow stripes. The overall result was a perfect balance of the brand’s storied history and a youthful energy, delivered in the form of joyful looks such as a classic two-piece tweed suit reimagined in pastel-pink and accessorised with literal rose-tinted sunglasses.

Although the collection is defined by its exuberant use of pastels and prints, some pieces drew attention for having an absence of either. A linen look in natural beige with a slouchy shoulder bag felt refreshingly practical, while a white pea coat draped off the shoulder also served as a palate cleanse. White was utilised with equal success later on – the brand’s launch into bridalwear was announced by the three classically elegant bridal gowns that closed the show.

Paul Costelloe has always placed emphasis on accessories, and for Spring/Summer ‘24 they were utilised to connect the label’s history with its future. Irish/British architect Angela Brady was enlisted to design the jewellery. The shoulder bags seen throughout were embellished with gleaming Costelloe logo hardware, and another consistent motif was a floral print designed in-house by William Costelloe, further confirming that this collection and the label at large is a family affair. These fine details combined with the collection’s overall inspiration to paint a picture of a label that knows its history, yet has its sights set firmly on the future.