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.
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