Scene setting: Molly Goddard has fun with her show sets. Her playful party girl models have in the past pranced through Mediterranean market stalls, and through a busy industrial kitchen, stacked with fresh veg. For A/W 2019, the designer had a more awe-inspiring venue in mind, hosting her show inside the opulent, window-lined and marble column-clad Durban Court of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in Whitehall. At the centre of the courtyard, stood a sleek Simon Costin-designed raised walkway. As the first model wafted down the stairs of the space, and ascended the raised walkway, the Starburst-green folds of her dress floated upwards, blown by invisible bursts of air.
Mood board: The sight of Killing Eve’s murderous assassin Villanelle, clad in a candy floss-like Goddard dress and Balenciaga biker boots in the Place Vendôme, has sent the designer’s status soaring towards Hollywood. Closer to home, Goddard’s Dress Portrait exhibition at Chelsea College of Arts, featuring detailed images of her smocked, ruffled and feather-light designs, has emphasised the inner workings of the aesthetic which found her fame. For A/W 2019, Goddard amped up her ruched and densely netted pieces, and dresses in lime green, fuchsia and sorbet yellow were even more mille-feuille like. She also added new shapes to her lexicon, with chic ruched suiting, DIY Argyle knitwear, glittering jacquard ribbon dresses and bow-detail taffeta smocks. There was even a sparkling chainmail poncho.
Finishing touches: Despite their floaty tulle layers and feminine shades, Goddard’s designs aren’t saccharine. There’s something subversive about those sugary tones and candyfloss flounces. Goddard’s girls stay up late, dance in nightclubs and love a cocktail. For A/W 2019, their rebellious streak was emphasised by pairing dresses with stompy lace up boots, balaclava bodysuits and straight-legged trousers. Models also sported bright Argyle scarves wrapped around their necks, like avant-garde uptown girls.
-
Best of Design Miami Paris 2025: animal sculptures and musical ping-pong tablesDesign Miami Paris returns to the Hôtel de Maisons (until 26 October 2025): here are the Wallpaper* highlights
-
Sam Falls is inspired by nature’s unpredictability in living works for RuinartThe artist creates works that are in-between photography and painting as part of Ruinart's Conversations with Nature series
-
Michael Graves’ house in Princeton is the postmodernist gem you didn’t know you could visitThe Michael Graves house – the American postmodernist architect’s own New Jersey home – is possible to visit, but little known; we take a tour and explore its legacy
-
‘Dirty Looks’ at the Barbican explores how fashion designers have found beauty in dirt and decayFrom garments buried in River Thames mud to those torn, creased and stained, ‘Dirty Looks’ is a testament to how ‘creativity and new artistic practices can come out of decay’, its curators tell Dal Chodha
-
Tyler Mitchell’s London show explores the figure of the Black Dandy, ‘imagining what else masculinity could look like’Originally part of a visual essay to accompany the Met’s ‘Superfine’ 2025 Costume Institute exhibition, ‘Portrait of the Modern Dandy’ goes on display at Gagosian Burlington Arcade in London this week
-
Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind caféWallpaper* takes a tour of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-up in London’s Soho, which celebrates the launch of a new ‘re-edition’ accessories collection spanning the greatest hits from the Japanese artist’s long-running collaboration with the house
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UKAs A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
-
Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019 -
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine RoseThough slimmed-down, London Fashion Week nonetheless provided the moments of creative expression the city is known for – from Ahluwalia’s ode to Africa to Martine Rose’s much-anticipated runway return
-
Discover these fashion brands at London Craft WeekDuring London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
-
Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London
