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On the first day of London Fashion Week, Paris Runway Official visited the presentation of the Paul Costelloe Spring/Summer 2027 collection, where creative director William Costelloe combined precision and spontaneity through relaxed tailoring, Irish textiles, and a decidedly understated approach to summer dressing.
London Fashion Week kicked off with a lesson in how tradition can move forward without losing its own identity. Paris Runway Official caught up with William Costelloe backstage, where we spoke to the designer about how he prepares for such a big day — the first day and first show of London Fashion Week. After that, all eyes were on the presentation of his new collection.
For spring/summer 2027, Paul Costelloe opened the season with a collection designed in London and based on a seemingly simple idea: beautiful clothes don’t have to try too hard.
Under the creative leadership of William Costelloe, structure met softness, tailoring became more relaxed, and the tradition of the Costelloe fashion house was translated into the spirit of the new season.
For Paris Runway Official, attending the first day of Fashion Week provided an early look at a collection that seemed to set the right tone for London itself — a city that is confident in its history but refuses to stay put.
Costelloe’s way
Before the first release of the model fully told the story of the collection, it was introduced by a recognizable symbol.
The presentation opened with the house’s fox, a tribute to founder Paul Costelloe, brought to life through hand-drawn animation by Nicholas Costelloe. Infusing the house’s materials, craft and heritage, the fox became a playful introduction to a collection deeply connected to family and craftsmanship.
Heritage resurfaced through specially designed gold buttons featuring the Costelloe family crest and the motto Cor Unum, Via Una — One heart, one way.
It’s a phrase that aptly describes what the house calls The Costelloe Way — a commitment to craftsmanship and creativity, even as the clothes themselves become increasingly casual.
For William, it was this ease that was key.
“I wanted this collection to be chic, understated and spontaneous. The design and material should do the job… a beautiful piece of clothing, a great bag, a silk scarf that you can wear however you want. No rules.”
And SS27 mostly followed exactly that idea.
Tailoring without formality
Tailoring formed the basis of the collection, but this was not tailoring that was meant to appear strict or rigid.
Structured biker jackets, cropped silhouettes and striking coats made from 100% Italian textured wool alternated with oversized single-breasted and double-breasted blazers, rounded lapels, accentuated shoulders and deliberately exaggerated proportions.
Jackets buttoned high at the neck were combined with flowing shorts with side pleats, while elongated trousers softened the architectural character of certain silhouettes.
And then came flax.
Striped linen from Magee appeared on oversized jackets, matching shorts and wide-leg pleated trousers, instantly bringing lightness to the traditional cut and making it more appropriate for high summer.
It was this contrast — precision versus lightness — that gave the collection its rhythm.
Crisp blue and white shirts were given oversized rounded cuffs, bows, and pleated linen forms, while knitted pieces made of fine cotton, with dropped shoulders, in cream, navy, and discreet stripes offered a quieter interpretation of summer attire.
The palette remained equally disciplined: navy blue, various shades of blue, cream, white, and soft summer neutral tones.
Instead of relying on bright colors, Costelloe let the proportions, cut, and materials capture the attention.
The return of the silk scarf
One of SS27’s most versatile details was also one of its most classic.
Silk scarves with hand-painted motifs by William Costelloe appeared throughout the collection, framed by striking borders and styled without obvious rules.
They were worn as headscarves. They were casually tied around the neck. They were wrapped around the handles of the bags.
It was a small style detail that conveyed the broader attitude of the season: luxury can still be polished without becoming pretentious.
And the accessories followed the same philosophy.
Oversized clutch bags, raffia bags, and east-west models in tan and navy tones accompanied the outfits, while thin double belts gave definition to otherwise fluid silhouettes.
Nothing had to be loud enough to attract attention to be noticed.
An Irish thread running through SS27
As the show neared its finale, Costelloe turned even more directly to Irish craftsmanship.
Textiles from Ferguson’s Irish Linen and Magee appeared on flowing jumpsuits, sculptural dresses, voluminous shorts and summery tailoring, with signature floral details and textured linen blends.
For a collection created in London, a fashion house with deep Irish roots, this choice seemed particularly significant.
Heritage was not presented as nostalgia. It was present in the fabric itself… and then cut, shaped and styled for the contemporary moment.
This difference could be the most interesting part of the vision that William Costelloe is gradually developing for this fashion house.
He doesn’t have to abandon the codes associated with Paul Costelloe to create something new. Instead, SS27 shows that evolution can be achieved through proportion, styling, materials and attitude.
Confident start for London
On the first day of London Fashion Week, there was something particularly fitting about opening the season with a house that is both thinking about legacy and what’s to come.
The tailoring remained precise, but gained freedom of movement.
Craftsmanship was still of great importance, but it did not seem pretentious.
Irish textiles met Italian wool. Traditional shirts met oversized proportions. Family crests appeared on gold buttons, while silk scarves could be worn in any way the wearer desired.
And through it all, William Costelloe’s instruction for this season ran:
No rules.
For Paris Runway Official, this marked the beginning of another London Fashion Week and a collection that, on the very first day, showed that being unobtrusive in clothing does not mean giving up on craftsmanship.
In Paul Costelloe’s SS27 collection, the exact opposite idea is represented: when cut, material and craftsmanship are strong enough, perhaps unobtrusiveness is the greatest form of luxury.
London Begins With Costelloe: Paris Runway Official Sits Front Row at London Fashion Week SS27 Opening Day Show
On the opening day of London Fashion Week, Paris Runway Official stepped inside Paul Costelloe’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation, where Creative Director William Costelloe balanced precision with spontaneity through relaxed tailoring, Irish textiles and a distinctly effortless approach to summer dressing.
London Fashion Week began with a lesson in how heritage can move forward without losing its identity. Paris Runway Official joined William backstage where we interviewed the designer to learn how he prepares for such a big day: the Opening Day and Opening Show of London Fashion Week. From there, the focus shifted entirely to debuting his collection.
For Spring/Summer 2027, Paul Costelloe opened the season with a collection designed entirely in London and built around a deceptively simple idea: beautiful clothes should not have to try too hard.
Under Creative Director William Costelloe , structure met softness, tailoring loosened its grip and the traditions of the Costelloe house were translated for a new season.
For Paris Runway Official , attending on opening day offered an early look at a collection that seemed to set an appropriate tone for London itself—confident in its history, but unwilling to stand still.
The Costelloe Way
Before the first look could fully tell the story, a familiar symbol introduced it.
The presentation opened with the house’s fox , an homage to founder Paul Costelloe , brought to life through hand-drawn animation by Nicholas Costelloe . Moving through the materials, artistry and heritage of the house, the fox became a playful entry point into a collection deeply connected to family and craft.
That heritage appeared again in specially molded gold buttons bearing the Costelloe family crest and its motto, Cor Unum, Via Una – One Heart, One Way.
It is a phrase that neatly captures what the house calls The Costelloe Way : a commitment to craftsmanship and creativity, even as the clothes themselves become increasingly relaxed.
For William, that ease was essential.
“I wanted this collection to feel chic, effortless and spontaneous. The design and the fabric should do the job… a beautiful garment, a great bag, a silk scarf worn however you want. No rules.”
And SS27 largely followed that instruction.
Tailoring, Without the Formality
Tailoring formed the backbone of the collection, but this wasn’t tailoring designed to feel rigid.
Structured biker jackets, cropped silhouettes and statement coats arrived in 100% Italian textured wools , followed by oversized single and double-breasted jackets with curved lapels, sculpted shoulders and deliberately exaggerated proportions.
High-buttoned jackets were paired with fluid side-pleated shorts, while elongated trousers softened some of the collection’s more architectural shapes.
Then came linen.
Striped linens from Magee appeared across oversized jackets, coordinating shorts and wide-leg pleated trousers, immediately shifting traditional tailoring into something lighter and more appropriate for high summer.
It was that contrast… precision against ease that gave the collection its rhythm.
Crisp blue and white shirting brought oversized curved cuffs, bows and pleated linen shapes, while off-the-shoulder fine-gauge cotton knits in cream, navy and subtle stripes offered a quieter interpretation of summer dressing.
The palette remained similarly disciplined: navy, cornflower blue, cream, white and soft summer neutrals .
Rather than relying on excessive color, Costelloe allowed proportion, cut and fabrication to hold the attention.
The Silk Scarf Returns
One of SS27’s most versatile details was also one of its most classic.
Silk scarves hand-drawn by William Costelloe appeared throughout the collection, framed with bold borders and styled without any obvious rules.
They became headscarves. They were loosely knotted around the necks. They were wrapped around handbags.
It was a small styling decision that communicated the broader attitude of the season: luxury could still be polished without becoming overly precious.
Accessories followed the same philosophy.
Oversized clutches, raffia totes and east-west bags in tan and navy accompanied the clothes, while thin double-layered belts brought definition to otherwise fluid silhouettes.
Nothing needed to shout to make itself noticed.
An Irish Thread Runs Through SS27
As the show moved towards its finale, Costelloe turned more explicitly towards Irish craftsmanship.
Textiles from Ferguson’s Irish Linen and Magee appeared across fluid jumpsuits, sculpted dresses, voluminous shorts and summer tailoring, accompanied by signature floral details and textured linen blends.
For a London-made collection from a house with deep Irish roots, the choice felt particularly meaningful.
Heritage wasn’t presented as nostalgia. It existed in the fabric itself… then it was cut, shaped and styled for the present.
That distinction may be the most interesting part of William Costelloe’s developing vision for the house.
He doesn’t need to abandon the codes associated with Paul Costelloe to establish something new. Instead, SS27 suggested that evolution can happen through proportion, styling, fabrication and attitude.
A Confident Start to London
On the first day of London Fashion Week, there was something fitting about beginning with a house thinking simultaneously about legacy and what comes next.
The tailoring remained precise, but it could move.
The craftsmanship remained important, but it didn’t feel precious.
Irish textiles sat alongside Italian wool. Traditional shirting meets oversized proportions. A family crest appeared on gold buttons while silk scarves were tied, however the wearer pleased.
And throughout it all was William Costelloe’s instruction for the season:
No rules.
For Paris Runway Official, it marked the beginning of another London Fashion Week and an opening-day collection that understood effortless dressing doesn’t mean abandoning craftsmanship.
At Paul Costelloe, SS27 made the opposite argument: when the cut, fabric and craft are strong enough, perhaps effortlessness is the ultimate luxury.
