WHILE many strive for perfection, Seán McGirr desired deliberate provocation for McQueen’s Spring/ Summer 2026 collection. Explicitly mining folk-horror and pagan iconography – most notably drawing from The Wicker Man to create an environment that blends ritual with the natural world – the stage was set for an unsettling yet inviting vision.
Within a wicker-like structure and a soundtrack that simultaneously echoed the woods at twilight against the humming beat of a nightclub, the weathered ceremony became a thoughtful exploration of crucial imperfection.
Making a headline-grabbing return was the resurrection of the bumster – McQueen’s notorious ultra low-rise trouser silhouette – pushed this season to theatrical extremes. Whilst nostalgic at first, McGirr doesn’t utilise the form in a gimmicky way; rather, it serves as the starting point of his thesis: can boundary, tension, and eroticism co-exist?
The reintroduction of the bumster immediately redistributes erotic tension across the body, forcing tailoring and details to take on new roles: like G-string detailing, adjustable polished hardware and additional zips for playful exposure.
The past was even more present with archetypes that anchored the collection. Military-cut and braiding details on marching jackets were worn open with impossibly low trousers to create a confrontational posture; asymmetrical T-shirt versions lifted from AW06, cage-slit tops recalling AW00, and corseted bustiers revisiting McQueen’s fascination with structure all breathed new life into the designer’s legacy of controlled desire.
Like much of what the British brand has stood for visually, the marriage of contrasts continued to thrive. Tactile materials like rendered floral jacquards and dressed leather pulled us back to nature whilst shard embellishments and metal chainmail proposed fractured theatrical ostentation. Even print work played the game doubles – abstracted insect prints that came alive, the closer you get.
It seems that McGirr has found his own sense of identity that walks the line between heritage and reinvention with a clear distinction from what once was. He’s not copying Lee’s theatrics, nor is he even trying to, he’s restaging them in a tone that is both relevant and modern.
This collection is proof that the Irish designer understands the importance of the past and its revered trademarks – the bumster, the horn heel, sharp tailoring – but is using his skill in reinterpreting the archives with an entirely new and of-the-moment energy. Whether SS26 will be marked as the moment McGirr found his voice or as poignant marker of return, he’s offered McQueen a look that is both inward and outward.
by Imogen Clark