February 25, 2022 |
For Richard Malone’s AW22 collection, the designer delved into the things that make him happy. Opting to present the edit digitally with a snazzy lookbook – rather than a full blown catwalk like the Raphael cartoon V&A set he offered last season – in a bid to place a greater emphasis on his creative process, the often unseen bit, and the part Malone loves most. “It’s quite insular when I’m working or adapting or making these abstract shapes, or even refining a sleeve head or finishing,” he said. “It’s a way of making that allows you to forget everything truly.”
Elevating the clothes he grew up around such as aprons, overalls and uniforms, the Malone aesthetic was as lavishly layered and as glamorous as ever; with rich, twisted textures, unexpected tailoring and just the best bits of 17th century French court frivolity coming to the fore. Eccentric draping and cool cut-outs brought the bravura, while sleek silhouettes were accompanied by coloured hosiery and delicate mesh detailing.
Vibrant hues of rusted gold, olive, plum, bubblegum pink, canary yellow, baby blue and (this season’s favourite) grass green were splattered throughout, injecting regal ruched gowns, leather trench coats and silky sets with a certain va-va-voom. The mixture of tones played with the Catholic iconography of Malone’s youth but were also evocative of the roster of Cadburys chocolate bar wrappers – from Moros and Twixes to Dairy Milk. It was a juxtaposition the Irish designer actually found quite funny.
What’s more, the entire collection was a celebration of “the outsider” or what Malone described as “self-defining people who see beyond trend, or this urge to fit in”. He continued: “I feel like it’s a true example of a celebration of my own queerness, but in a way that doesn’t capitalise on queer culture and sell it back to its own community. There’s also real importance in the reality of being an immigrant here [London] given the circumstances of the last few years politically – there are so few designers showing at London Fashion Week who haven’t grown up here in the UK. In a way it’s always a quiet act of protest to embrace being an outsider, and I love that.”
From the trompe l’oeil jacket-turned-tops to the staggered pleating, everything was made in London – and developed on Malone’s own body at that – offering a proper London living wage to the artisans crafting the garments and using only pre-existing fabrics, upcycled either from recent collections or archival LVMH deadstock. “I won’t compromise on exporting clothes for cheap labour, and I’m hoping we will shift the idea that success means sales, as it’s one of the most toxic ideologies we continue to hold on to.” Honest, alluring and low impact, Richard Malone is for the people.
Photography courtesy of Richard Malone.
