Our style guru caught up with Paul Costelloe to hear how his son and Paris inspired his spring/summer collection of pastels. With an array of sketches to showcase his work, the designer is excited for his 40th year anniversary at London Fashion Week
An exclusive sketch hand-drawn by Paul Costelloe of his Spring/Summer 25 Collection. Sketch: Courtesy of Paul Costelloe
Paul Costelloe’s synonymous relaxed tailoring will feature in his Spring/Summer 25 Collection. Sketch: Courtesy of Paul Costelloe
“I imagined a woman sitting outside Café de Flore, drinking her coffee, waiting for her boyfriend, looking very French,” Paul Costelloe says of his latest collection. Sketch: Courtesy of Paul Costelloe
“This collection is fresh, young, sprezzatura (an Italian word meaning to make one’s actions seem effortless),” says Paul Costelloe. Sketch: Courtesy of Paul Costelloe
Paul Costelloe’s hand-drawn invite for his Spring/Summer 25 Collection show
“It’s all been running so smoothly, we’re ahead of time. We could show tomorrow,” says Paul Costelloe. This is a statement rarely heard at London Fashion Week. Often models are pinned and prodded right up until the moment they step on the runway. So what has the designer feeling so serene?
He’s embraced the beauty of simplicity. “It’s a non-statement, easy collection, rather than killing myself with these winter collections which have so much hard work and tailoring in them.
“This collection is fresh, young, sprezzatura (an Italian word meaning to make one’s actions seem effortless). It’s very feminine, featuring soft shapes.”
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Although Costelloe is opting for softer silhouettes this season, we can still see some relaxed tailoring in his sketches above. To match the gentle silhouettes, Costelloe embraced a pastel palette.
An exclusive sketch hand-drawn by Paul Costelloe of his Spring/Summer 25 Collection. Sketch: Courtesy of Paul Costelloe
“I went to a trade show in Milan. I found this one company that had these beautiful, very basic fabrics in pastel colours. In the SS25 collection, we opted for pale blue, pale pink, yellow and pale green. After that, I was sitting in bed with my wife [Anne], I was looking at a vase my son William had thrown in Portugal in a ceramics company he did work experience with. There was a beautiful, very simple print on it. I said to William: ‘Why don’t we make that a print for the collection.’ He redrew it in the pale colours and that’s how we conceived it. It was so simple.”
Paul Costelloe’s synonymous relaxed tailoring will feature in his Spring/Summer 25 Collection. Sketch: Courtesy of Paul Costelloe
William Costelloe inherited his father’s artistic talents and now works closely with Costelloe as a creative director of the brand.
The designer mentions he was also inspired by the Left Bank of Paris. “I imagined a woman sitting outside Café de Flore, drinking her coffee, waiting for her boyfriend, looking very French,” says Costelloe.
“I imagined a woman sitting outside Café de Flore, drinking her coffee, waiting for her boyfriend, looking very French,” Paul Costelloe says of his latest collection. Sketch: Courtesy of Paul Costelloe
“We’re also launching a hosiery collection so I have these striped socks that have all been designed to work with the colour story. It’s very fresh. You could describe the look as akin to Emily In Paris.” The French inspiration, however, will not stop at the clothing alone. “My wife got involved in the music, I resigned on that front. It will feature songs by Françoise Hardy. When you listen to the music of the show, you’re listening to Anne Costelloe’s creation, not mine.”
The garments have been sewn, the music chosen, the patterns carefully placed. Now all that’s left to do is wait for the models to walk down the runway on September 13 at London Fashion Week.
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