By Marie Kelly
19th Feb 2019
19th Feb 2019
I met and interviewed Richard Malone a couple of years ago, and so I always look at his collections with particular interest. He spoke so affectionately of his grandmother and of his childhood in Wexford when I met him that I liked him straight away. He had those humble and unaffected qualities you hope to find in someone whose work you admire.
The collections I review here are, quite frankly, the ones that feature clothes I want to wear. I am not a Simone Rocha woman, and I find it difficult to detach from this fact when looking at her runway shows. I see the talent and the craftsmanship, but I don’t want to buy a thing (even if I could afford to).
Malone, on the other hand, delivered a collection at the weekend that spoke very much to my love of colour, texture and directional shapes. Burgundy, cobalt blue and tangerine (the colours that dominate my wardrobe) were delivered in fresh combinations and imposing but not alienating shapes.
This dress was one of my favourite pieces. It delivered on femininity (the cinched waist and hip-hugging silhouette) and on sexiness (notice the subtle stitching outline the breast area), yet it was modern and utterly unique with it’s funnel-shaped sleeves and structured neckline.
Richard Malone AW19
I also loved this textured top. The extent of the ruching makes it feel almost 3D, while the conical capped sleeves create a really fresh silhouette.
Richard Malone Aw19
His coats were the stuff autumn/winter dreams are made of; they looked blanket soft and beautifully cocooning, especially this one below. The abstract print is painterly and it reappeared a second time in different colourways on a gorgeous short sleeved shirt (bottom).
Richard Malone AW19
Richard Malone AW19
Malone seems to effortlessly tread that fine line between directional and unwearable, falling very firmly on the right side of the fence. He creates clothes that challenge and inspire but are above all about making women feel fabulous.
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