Hector Maclean SS26
Once upon a time, in a London crypt Hector Maclean unleashed a heroine. Not just any heroine, but one forged in fire, light, and self confrontation. The Girl Who Ate the Dragon, his SS26 collection, translated personal battle into couture poetry. Pairing the mythology of knights and monsters with the fragility of being human.
“This one’s for the women who fight,” Maclean said, moments before the show. Inspired by a conversation with a close friend who confided, “I’m no longer chasing the dragon,” the designer turned those words, once about addiction and recovery, into a universal metaphor. “We all face battles,” he reflected. “It’s not always a fairytale, but it’s part of surviving. We all get a little bit bloodied, and become a bit of a dragon, but it matters what kind of dragon you want to be.” That introspection set the emotional pulse for the collection, a journey from maiden to monster, from fragility to fierce rebirth.
The show opened with delicate whites; soft draping silks and armor cut corsetry shaping a restrained purity. These first looks evoked the archetypal fairytale maiden; innocent, trapped, and perhaps unaware of her own power. Yet the detailing, swords etched into seams, sheer overlays resembling chainmail, hinted at what lay beneath. As the story unfolded, so did the color palette. Ivory gave way to metallic shimmer, rhinestone coated meshing that caught the light like blades in motion. Then came the moment of transformation. Crimson flooded the runway. Dresses bled into deep scarlet, the fabric appearing almost scorched. Hand dyed by Maclean himself, stains symbolized both wounding and awakening, each mark a reminder of strength earned through endurance. By the finale, the maiden was gone. In her place stood the knightress, adorned in 3D printed scales, structured tails, and dragon armored shoulders. Jewels resembling treasure were encrusted across chest pieces, each glinting shard a relic of trial and triumph. The collection’s closing notes carried Maclean’s signature ‘90s grunge undertone, an emotional counterpoint to the mythic drama.
Yet beneath the styling and spectacle, what Hector Maclean accomplished this season was quietly radical. He invited us to reconsider what it means to battle, to shed, and to rebuild. His narrative takes awareness from the conceptual to the corporeal. We wear our stories, we integrate them, and we emerge more conscious because of them. The warrior of SS26 does not seek perfection, she seeks presence. She stands, eyes open, in armor of her making. And as The Girl Who Ate the Dragon took her final bow, she reminded us that we inspire our wardrobes, and ourselves, to evolve.
