Julien Macdonald: ‘King of Glamour’ returns to LFW

Welsh fashion designer Julien Macdonald, who has worked for Chanel and Givenchy, is probably one of the most recognisable faces of British fashion for his unapologetic take on opulent glamour, pairing intricate embellishments and rich textures with sexy silhouettes, and the undisputed ‘King of Glamour’ is back, returning to the London Fashion Week catwalk after three years away.

Macdonald, who has dressed everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Beyonce, the Kardashians, Rihanna, Katy Petty and Kylie, has always had a flair for the dramatics, and his return marks the first-time ever a catwalk show has been held on the 69th floor of The Shard, designed by world-renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, which is recognisable on the London skyline for its slender, pyramidal shape.

For previous collections, the designer opted for historic, ornate and grand buildings, such as Southwark Cathedral, Freemason’s Hall, and the Royal Opera House, but for his return, Macdonald wanted a “powerful homecoming,” and The Shard, with its imposing statue against the city’s skyline and glass-clad construction offered the designer a modern backdrop for his new vision.

“This collection’s starting point was The Shard, it’s strong, powerful and confident, and stands out in the London skyscape - just like the women I dress,” Macdonald told FashionUnited in an interview at his new studio ahead of the catwalk show. “It also represents the ‘New World’ being built around us, like Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the new luxury customer.”

Julien Macdonald draws inspiration from The Shard for return to the catwalk

The Shard, owned by the Qatari royal family, was much more than just a glitzy venue, the iconic building also served as the designer’s central muse, with its reflective glass façade translated into intricate couture-like embroidery, created using Japanese beads and crystals, adorned across body-skimming gowns, which will paraded around the viewing platform in a palette of iridescent metallics and soft hues with highlights of aqua, baby blue and blush pink, drawing inspiration from pictures the designer took of the building and its interaction with light at different times of day and seasons.

This was highlighted further with a new signature print, an abstract glass-and-water motif inspired by rainfall cascading down The Shard’s surface, described by Macdonald as “painted glass,” which has a holographic, glitter effect to the print that shimmered perfectly against the London backdrop.

“I’ve designed a collection of the things that I actually love, celebrating women and femininity, the women that I’ve dressed in the past, and obviously the new woman that I aim to dress for the future,” added Macdonald. “As well as being based around the city I live in, it is also influenced by Bali, Hawaii, luxurious tropical places like Dubai and Miami, and the young, affluent, glamorous people going out every night, dressing up because it's always summer.

“This is not about a season, it’s not about the winter, and it's not about the summer, it’s about sunshine, catering for a modern kind of woman, who has an exotic energy to her, who has an unapologetic celebration of dressing up and needs a glamorous wardrobe that travels with her from the beach to the evening.”

This comes across in the luxury resort wear, from the dramatic kaftans adorned with ostrich feathers alongside crystal–embroidered swimsuits, elevated with an unmistakable haute couture sensibility, to Macdonald’s signature statement party dresses and red carpet-worthy gowns.

Julien Macdonald’s reinvention targets digitally-savvy women

The move towards reimagining his signature glamour through a ready-to-wear lens is part of Macdonald’s new approach to business, following the downfall of his couture business in 2023, which was a casualty of the Debenhams collapse, where he had an ongoing collaboration with his ‘Star by Julien Macdonald’ affordable line.

While there may still be a "more is more" philosophy, this is Macdonald after all; he loves jewel-encrusted styles, and each piece he designs oozes glamour, he is also adapting his new business to the new retail reality, leveraging his 610,000 followers on Instagram and celebrity clients to target younger, digitally-savvy consumers, while maintaining the exclusivity of his couture roots.

Macdonald added: “My designs are feminine, camp, pretty. I’m not ashamed by it. I dress glamorous women who want to be seen, who want to show off, who love who they are as women. These are women who aren’t afraid to show off their bodies.

“I don’t think there are enough designers like myself who are celebrating that kind of style and championing it. In the past, people used to put me down for that; they would say I was tacky, but you know what, this is me, and this is what I’m doing. I feel like now is the time for women to shine. There’s a modern world, and a modern woman. They make their own money, love to shop, and are savvy. They rule the world from their phones.

“It’s a new world out there now, you don’t need to be in a shop, whereas before designers would be on their knees begging these shops to buy their clothes and beg the magazines, now women look at their phones, get inspired by social media and shop online.”

This new younger audience has also seen Macdonald shifting his price-point, whereas before his dresses were “very expensive,” starting at 8,000 pounds and ranging to 40,000 pounds, due to their couture and one-of-a-kind nature, his new venture will see his pieces starting at around 1,000 pounds for a party dress, which the designer states is “relatively cheap in the world of designers dresses,” and going up to around 4,500 pounds.

“There will be lots of different entry price dresses,” explains Macdonald. “Women buy my dresses to go somewhere, and there are now so many different opportunities to dress up, and while they are a considered purchase, they aren’t as much of a considered purchase as they used to be, plus they get a dress where they will stand out in the crowd.”

Macdonald is also stepping away from a traditional atelier to a more multidisciplinary space, cutting his overheads by moving into Studio Y by Spacemade at the Notting Dale campus, a creative hub dedicated to the fashion and beauty industries in West London.

“I’ve realised you don’t need extravagant premises and fashion houses,” explains Macdonald. “Studio Y is a modern environment that feels alive with creativity and young people, and it is inspiring. I like the flexibility, there’s so much space, that I have one room as my main base, and then add extras when I need them, like in the run-up to my show.”

Julien Macdonald to take his new collection on tour directly to where his customers holiday

To sell the collection, Macdonald is going on a summer tour, as he looks to get his dresses and swimwear in front of what he calls his “global traveller” of a consumer, who moves effortlessly between sun-soaked destinations and glamorous party capitals. The plan is, instead of pitching retailers and buyers, Macdonald is going it alone, with all his pieces set to be available exclusively from his own website and Instagram account and then direct to his customers through partnerships with luxury hotels, in places such as San Tropez, Athens and Ibiza, where he will host exclusive “pool parties,” and dinners.

“In the summer, I’m going to the customer,” added the designer. “I’m teaming up with luxury hotel chains all over the world, and I'm offering experiences for their clients and for people staying in the hotels. We’ll go where the women are and do small presentations of the collection, around, like a pool or at a dinner, where the models will walk around, while people have cocktails and drink.

“I want to show the clothes in the environment they are designed for. Let them see the clothes where they will wear them and then offer them exclusive appointments to buy the collection right there.”

From a summer of jet-setting across Europe, the designer said he will move on to “where the money is,” such as Art Basel, Atlanta, Qatar and Dubai.

Macdonald adds: “This is why I’m showing a summer collection now, because people don’t want to wait to buy, that’s an old way of thinking. You need to follow the market and give the customer what she wants, and she sees it on Instagram and wants it now, and that’s what I intend to do.”

While ready-to-wear will be the backbone of the business, Macdonald states that he will still offer a bespoke service, especially for his celebrity clientele, as seeing stars like Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez endorsing his designs still drives his business.

Looking ahead, Macdonald couldn’t say for certain if he would showcase at London Fashion Week every season, as hosting a catwalk show was “highly expensive,” but did add that he might do a smaller capsule collection in September filled with party dresses for the Christmas season and host a presentation.

Julien Macdonald spotlights emerging brand Kandee Shoes at LFW

The Welsh designer also utilised his return to the catwalk to highlight emerging footwear brand Kandee Shoes, founded by Josh Wayman, known as Mr Kandee on social media, who offers extreme silhouettes often featuring six-inch stiletto heels and concealed platforms designed to lengthen the leg significantly.

Macdonald said: “I came across this shoe brand on my Instagram; I just loved that he had a dream of setting up a shoe brand from his bedroom, and he basically does it all through social media. He makes each shoe one by one, he holds no stock, no overhead and no fabric, and his styles have been worn by the Kardashians and Sabrina Carpenter.

“I’m constantly looking to discover and champion new designers, giving them the opportunity to have a space within the fashion system. I believe it is a shared responsibility to look toward the next generation, to support, encourage, and open doors for the future of creativity.”

The Merthyr Tydfil-raised designer has had a storied career so far, from catching the attention of Karl Lagerfeld, who appointed him head designer of knitwear at Chanel following his successful Royal College of Art graduation show to succeeding Alexander McQueen as creative director of Givenchy, and it looks like this latest chapter might be his most revealing, as he looks to create fashion with joy and fun in mind.

“I’m not scared about the future. I’m just happy to offer these clothes to a global kind of customer who has an appetite for something glamorous. My woman has always been all over the world. I sell a lot to the Middle East and America. Plus, they always come back, as when they are wearing my designs, they feel like a woman,” concluded Macdonald.