ARMED with a dedicated and continuous move toward sustainability, the Dublin-born menswear designer Robyn Lynch and her collections have evolved to become a symbol of fashion with purpose. Since founding her eponymous brand upon graduating from the University of Westminster in 2018, Lynch has upheld the principle behind her designs, striving to further purify her identity and brand with each stitch.
From her SS21 hybrid items that upcycled towelling panels and sections of cycling jersey onto t-shirts to her SS22 nylons made out of ocean waste – spotted in the collection that was shown this week, custom dyed into glorious saturated Pantone shades – Lynch’s experiments with deadstock and textiles have always been impressive.
For AW22, Robyn Lynch cast her reference net again to her Irish upbringing, taking influence from the “Irish lads” she recalls from her childhood, embarking on a winter adventure with their sportswear fits and outdoors enthusiasm. The Lynch family and their wardrobe, namely her dad’s Dublin football jerseys from the ’90s and noughties, was a core element to her designs, establishing the importance of heritage in her work.
Working with Japanese fashion lab, Synflux, Lynch scanned the jerseys, working to distort them and build them into trompe l’oeil intarsia knits.
The collaborative process did not end here for AW22, with Lynch working alongside Columbia for the second time to create 10 unique pieces.
“Revisiting this project with Columbia has been an eye-opening experience. Getting to learn from industry leaders on technical fabrication development and science has been a highlight of this season, which has definitely influenced the way I work with deadstock, but also my approach to design in general,” Lynch said.
With a focus on jackets, the 10 pieces ranged from bulging puffers to trench anoraks and cropped coats possessing the ability to unfold into enveloping silhouettes. The customised Columbia winter boots in shades of chartreuse, electric blue, brown and grey effortlessly created the perfect harmony from head-to-toe. This is gorpcore at its finest.
But arguably what was most exciting about the collection was the exquisite knitwear techniques. Confronting tradition with a modern means, the collection features textured boucle and dense cotton knits, as well as Lynch’s signature merino wool, which was last seen at her graduate collection and is now reimagined in icy grey – undoubtedly an immediate must-have for all those lucky to have witnessed its glory.
The finishing touches to this collection were of the highest standard, even down to the small packet of shamrock seeds paper clipped to the show notes – another nod to her Irish roots. Printed with a QR code, upon scanning, the packet led you to a virtual world, created in collaboration with SOOT, in which Lynch’s moodboard for the show can be further explored.
As the models took their finale walk, the audience erupted in ferocious cheers, some even lifting from their seats. It’s a response that amplified the energy to the collection, whilst more importantly cementing my personal conclusion – Robyn Lynch and her designs are monumental…. and everybody knows it.
by Lily Rimmer