When it came to his fall 2026 collection for McQueen, designer Seán McGirr had the concept of performance on the brain.
“We’re really ‘on’ and curated,” the designer told press backstage after the show. “We’re constantly performing… There’s this psychological disruption I wanted to think about this season… There’s a filter. Maybe you’re wearing your mask, maybe you’re not.”
On Sunday night, models in Paris walked through a spare, white labyrinthian space designed by Tom Scutt that was sectioned off by gauzy curtains, making their way to a platform at the center. Some carried face masks on the runway, others donned them. The hair and makeup, inspired by “West End girls,” fed into the vibe that we’re catching these women in a quiet, more introspective moment after they’ve put on the show. Once the last model—wearing a hooded gown covered in white embroidered flowers—took her spot, the curtains lifted, so you could see all the looks together.
Similarly, the garments reflect this tension between the public and private self: extra-mini flared peplum coats with tall boots, molded skirts that mirror the natural shape and curvature underneath, lace petticoats over tailored shorts, babydoll dresses, sheer lingerie-inspired slips. McGirr admitted that, this season, the team worked mostly directly on the body, which made the process more instinctual, draping and fitting pieces on the form or studio model first. “I didn’t really sketch,” he said.
A little over two years into the gig, the designer is still trying new-to-him-at-McQueen things. This was his first season doing tailoring in earnest—his take is textural, with high-shine fabrics and iridescence. Like so many of his peers, McGirr is a student of Lee McQueen’s, so he often references his iconic, influential collections. For spring, it was the “bumster” pants. Now, it’s an emphasis on modularity (think: the aforementioned molded bottoms with shrunken jackets). He also borrowed from the spring 1997 “La Poupée” collection to inform the tailoring, and from fall 2006 “Widows of Culloden” for the embroideries.
McGirr described the color palette for fall as “icy,” adding: “I wanted something that was a little bit more muted and a little bit twisted.” That included romantic-looking floral jacquards with flair.
“We got all these flowers, trapped them in blocks of ice, and we started smashing them and then we took photos,” he explained. The result was a take on florals that felt almost claustrophobic—a sense also communicated by the lace pieces, which are sandwiched between layers of organza.
“I’m really inspired by cinema, always, and I was thinking about the Todd Haynes film Safe, with Julianne Moore,” he continued, “and this idea of perfectionism and toxicity and domesticity.”
Another pattern making an unmissable appearance: the skulls, of noughties and Peak Tumblr fame. McGirr is de facto president of the Skull Scarf Revival Club. (Alex Consani, Margot Robbie, Timothée Chalamet, and Charli xcx are print-wearing members.) And its momentum isn’t slowing down: on the fall 2026 runway, the piece appears wrapped around the neck over an embroidered military-style jacket and low-rise trousers. Maybe one of the celebrities sitting front row—Myha’la, Chappell Roan, Sky Ferreira, and more—will get some ideas.
With this collection, McGirr is keen to tap into “a new type of glamour,” one that’s rooted in “expressing something that feels true to you and very personal.” To that end, “It was important for me that the girls looked like they dressed themselves,” he said. “There was a personal touch, in that sense, of glamour that I wanted.”
Despite the heavy introspection happening this season, McGirr ultimately ends on a positive note. The final gown, he explained, is meant to evoke the freedom of going out to a garden of fresh flowers. “In the end, it’s hopeful,” he said. “Even though it’s super dark and the future of the world is broken right now, that last look made you feel like she’s just free, in the garden. There’s a sense of optimism.”
