Patrick McDowell presented the Spring Summer 2027 collection during London Fashion Week, building on the designer’s focus on sharply cut tailoring, natural materials and limited-production pieces. The show marks McDowell’s first runway presentation since dressing The Princess of Wales for Garter Day 2026 and winning the BFC Fashion Trust prize this year.
SPRING SUMMER 2027
Early 1960s American socialites, the beginnings of international travel and Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love informed the collection. McDowell looked to a period when designers including Balenciaga, Dior and Givenchy explored changing ideas around couture and dress, alongside figures such as Lee Radziwill and Jackie Kennedy.
“My boyfriend’s favourite film is In The Mood for Love. It felt like a perfect starting point for this collection,” McDowell explains, connecting the film’s early 1960s setting with a period of social and fashion change. The designer also describes the collection as a reflection on love and acceptance in the present.
Spring Summer 2027 marks McDowell’s fifth ready-to-wear collection since the line launched with Spring Summer 2026 in September 2025. During its first year, the label has developed accounts in the United States, Asia and London. McDowell credits relationships with stores and clients as an important part of that growth.
The collection continues the designer’s focus on tailoring and specialised handwork. London artisans hand-embroidered three looks with Pandora jewellery, completing over 500 hours of work. McDowell uses the pieces to continue an ongoing practice of adapting existing objects and materials through fashion. Bespoke one-of-one Pandora jewels featuring lab-grown diamonds accompany the runway looks.
McDowell also continues the partnership with Aspinal of London that began in 2025. The new handbag collection takes inspiration from the English Garden and includes hand-painted and hand-embroidered pieces produced in limited quantities.
Certilogo again provides digital authentication for the ready-to-wear line. Each item carries a scannable QR code linked to a Digital Product Passport, which records information about provenance and makers. The system gives every product a secure digital identity and supports future repair, refitting, redesign and circular services.
The show also extends McDowell’s collaboration with organisations outside fashion. Twenty-five young children will attend from the front row through Place2Be and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, created by HRH The Princess of Wales. McDowell hopes their attendance will encourage early interest in fashion and creative industries. The subject carries a personal connection for the designer, whose mother taught early years education for over 30 years.
Parker and Bailey sponsored the final bridal look. British milliner Jane Taylor supported the show’s headwear. London makers created designs that reference early 1960s shapes, including wide-brim boaters, pillbox hats and a skull cap inspired by Princess Margaret.
These elements place Spring Summer 2027 within McDowell’s developing ready-to-wear practice, connecting the collection’s 1960s references with tailoring, hand embroidery, accessories and specialised production in London.
