February 20, 2026 |
Amongst London’s “ones to watch”, designer Maximilian Raynor’s latest outing stunned audiences with a collection that transcended any label of mere menswear or womenswear. Titled Post Me Your Last Kiss, Raynor channeled his personal heartbreak into his designs, leaving a sort of bittersweet taste in the mouth, while the show was held at One Hundred Shoreditch where the hotel walls hold déjà-vu-toned memories of midcentury rooftop parties.
Underscoring the life cycle of a final love letter – the collection was staged in sections of disarray and finally re-completion. It started off with voluptuous checkered tartan ensembles and oversized messenger bags then morphed into crumpled and shredded pieces. Chunky knotted knitwear with the structure of bodices and other Victorian-inspired silhouettes were seen gliding across the catwalk amongst a strung-up compilation of hand-written letters. Raynor revamped mourning gowns and transforms funnelled necklines into a contemporary version of mourning veiling. He played on the idea that life goes on. His modern-looking trainers symbolising the act of stomping through London, a place that in itself holds many stories and memories – reframing personal heartache as a small tear in the nucleus that is the big city.
With a live performance from Finn Ronsdorf, clad in a haunting white spiralled creation, the emotion of the collection was enunciated through sound waves, before the singer sat thoughtfully within the backdrop of the finale. A finishing touch of hope was delivered in the form of a rich red velvet gown, with its fabric panels creating geometry – intersecting and dividing onlookers’s hearts. Soundtracking the show finale to the yearn-worthy Elvis hit Love Me, Maximilian Raynor tugged at heartstrings whilst honouring a love “once destined to be timeless”.
Photography courtesy of Maximilian Raynor.
