Molly Goddard autumn/winter 2023

This period, we are breaking down the autumn/winter 2023 collections with a new franchise, The Trend Week Cheat Sheet. Immediately after speaking to designers about their inspiration, their hero parts, the faces on the catwalk and the names on the entrance row, we existing every little thing you have to have to know about AW23.


London Trend Week is in full swing with the common fanfare of avenue-design and style pictures, famous people on the entrance row and events well into the night time. But, for Molly Goddard, this year was all about stripping matters back again, suitable again to fundamentals, to emphasis fully on what her brand stands for, good structure.

“It is a little, small clearly show – this year, we just have little amount of push and buyers, just really stripped again,” Goddard instructed me this week. “None of the fuss, none of the circus. And so which is sort of the gist of the full assortment also.”

Exhibiting in her studio in East London, the designer claimed she required attendees to see all the things up near – “it’s all about slowing down and focussing on the clothes”. This was a response to the temper of the sector suitable now, in which designers are frequently compelled to use their energy elsewhere – red-carpet dressing, brand name marketing, social media – relatively than remaining able to pay their entire awareness to what they are genuinely enthusiasm about.

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree

“I consider that seeking to strip every little thing back again and show in this way is truly a reaction, potentially, to what is heading on at the instant. I sense like factors have gone a bit mad – there is no target on the clothing. I want this to be an antidote to that. For me, the emphasis has normally been on the apparel – I am not truly intrigued in the present about it all.”

This arrived as a result of not just in the environment of the catwalk clearly show, but of study course in the designs them selves, which Goddard describes as fuss-no cost and functional. “Nothing has been finished for the display of it. I preferred it to be a really wearable collection.”

Concept and inspiration

“I always do a lot of investigate, so there will be a million references and factors of inspiration in the collection, but in terms of defining the entire output, I actually just preferred the concentration to be on the garments, on the craft,” Goddard reiterates. “I required to do a clearly show that feels pretty honest and uncomplicated. The studio is in which we work, where by every thing will get designed, where by the patterns are reduce, where we do all our fittings, and I wished to deliver all people into that earth.”

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree

In what she explained as her “ode to fashion”, the designer worked with her sister and stylist Alice Goddard to dip into the previous, scouring the archives in the Central Saint Martins’ library, considering about how they would actually design the pieces they reminisced about when they have been youthful the parts they coveted in style publications, as very well as individuals they have been capable to purchase.

“A Charles James gown with that Ralph Lauren jumper that Anna Molinari slip with this Cerutti coat, leopard-print jeans we’d acquired at Hole kids in Whiteleys, display screen-print sporty knitwear from Portobello, an exposed popper belt we shared from Claire’s Accessories.” They also looked by way of the Molly Goddard archive. “We pulled out parts that had worked, and these that hadn’t – restyling, reshaping, altering the fabric, refining. The final result is a assortment that feels nostalgic, acquainted, developed up, wearable, streamlined.”

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree

Hero pieces

“We’ve carried out this knitwear this time that’s in a wool but it’s actually kind of fairly rigid – it really is bought pin tucks in so you’ve got to treat it and apply these pinch marks. It’s really sculptural in a way – and then we have some of the tulle in leopard print, which I am definitely fairly psyched to put on. Outerwear sensible, we’ve carried out some seriously hefty men’s tailoring.”

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree

The information

It feels remiss to communicate about traits with this collection, which Goddard so passionately does not want to engage in into. These are clothing which are inspired by her like of style, motivated by the earlier, and designed to be worn and beloved for good.

“I guess how I always want my collections to sense is not timeless, that is the improper term simply because that sounds way too grandiose and I really don’t suggest it like that,” she claims. “It’s more about remaining seasonless and prolonged-long lasting. I want all the things to have a really extended existence, and to be worn and treasured for good. I you should not want anything to be a trend or a viral instant, I will not want a flash of the time, it is not ever about instantaneous gratification. I want to generate garments that you want to don once again and all over again and keep for good. I always really feel like that, but I feel that is in particular true this year.”

molly goddard aw23

Imaxtree