Timeless mutation

Linking a literary classic with modern fashion was an unexpected twist out of London-based designer Hector Maclean. The up-and-coming creative was recently presenting Orlando in Opulence’, his new Spring/Summer ‘24 collection at London Fashion Week, in the beautiful venue of St Paul’s Church. The name of the collection takes inspiration from Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography.

Virginia Woolf’s work of fiction, published in 1928, is timeless: the topics discussed in the book are debated even today. ‘Orlando’ dives into themes such as gender fluidity and identity, renewal and rejuvenation without limits, the path of the artist, as well as the artform. This bears a heavier meaning knowing that the book is set in Edwardian and Victorian times, which in turn exposes the wisdom of the author, just like the importance of the literature.

The tale takes us through Orlando’s upbringing and love life in Victorian and Edwardian England, where he joins the royal court and indulges in a bohemian dandyesque  lifestyle. Only Orlando wakes up one morning to find he turned into a woman during his sleep. From this point onwards, the narrative debate regarding the difference in sexes, as well as its fluidity, commences. The tale serves as a beacon for feminine empowerment, especially regarding the time frame it’s set in.

Hector McLean´s collection ‘Orlando in opulence’ embodies its concept with a diverse range of elegant garments, colours, shapes and genderless ensembles. Each look´s strong historical silhouette is mirroring Orlando’s travels through time. The materials used for the garments are entirely upcycled deadstock  – synthetic materials, polyester and blended fibres were disregarded to ensure that the collection is fully recyclable. Hector takes us on a journey through time with repurposed fabrics and empowered forms of hyper-feminine silhouettes that complement strong masculine tailored forms. Most of the fabrics were donated, some of them new, some of them decades old.

‘Orlando: A Biography’ spans over the period of 300 years (1588-1928) and details the story of Orlando, an aspiring poet and young noble from England. The story is inspired by the life of Vita Sackville-West, Woolf’s romantic interest and close friend. Vita was an acclaimed writer, crossdresser and openly bisexual, which marked her as one of the most significant feminist figures of the Victorian era leading into modern times.

The show featured a collaboration with the Drawing Cabaret Couture – aka DCC studios – an East London-based collective that specialises in high fashion films & editorials. For the Hector Maclean show, fashion illustrators were present backstage depicting live illustrations of the event and the production process.

The collection’s colour palette exhibits a soft approach to tones and colours, with hints of extravaganza. This choice of palette was eloquently complemented by the makeup art, which combined flashy and serene tones that highlight the duality behind the concept of the show. Leading makup artist Jo Sugar and hairstylist Tim Furssedonn were taken inspiration from Orlando creating a romantic, soft and beautiful look, feminising the male and maskulinising the female models. “The hairstyles are  a collision of Victorian and Edwardian, outlined with modern textures, to reflects the shapes and movement within the clothing, ” Tim explains.

The garments empower the inclusivity of the designs, as can be seen in the linear hyper-feminine silhouettes that are complemented by strong masculine tailored forms.