Royal Rebellion: Hector Maclean's "Bastard Aristocrat" at London Fashion Week
In the shadowy interior of St. Paul's Covent Garden, designer Hector Maclean's AW25 collection "Bastard Aristocrat" unfolded like a visual manifesto – a striking dialogue between heritage and rebellion framed by ancient stone walls.
The collection stems from a personal revelation: Maclean's descent from Lady Susan Belasyse, a Protestant commoner once engaged to King James II before the match was forbidden. This Tudor romance produced an illegitimate son, creating a lineage that would eventually lead to Maclean himself.
Against the church's atmospheric backdrop, Maclean transforms this historical footnote into a visual exploration of British identity. Upcycled Union Jack flags and bedsheets are bleached, shredded, and reimagined with interventions of neon pink and acid green that punctuate the dim space like electric flashes.
"I want everyone to feel like they're royalty," Maclean explains after the show. "We're princes and princesses in our own right. Everyone can be whatever they want to be."
The silhouettes progress through British aesthetic history – from a pristine white mini-dress opening the show to voluminous Victorian-inspired black lace gowns. A structured ensemble instantly recalls Diana's "revenge dress," complete with an oversized pearl necklace. Each reference arrives both reverent and subversive, captured in Mark Gunter's photography that emphasizes the dramatic play of light against historical forms.
The show culminated in a breathtaking finale: a model crowned with a crystalline headpiece emerged in a billowing crimson gown adorned with hundreds of remembrance poppies donated by the Royal British Legion. Under the venue's string lights, the paper flowers clustered around the skirt's hem while diaphanous red tulle floated with each step. With face paint streaked across her features, the model embodied both regal presence and revolutionary spirit – a visual crescendo to Maclean's meditation on British identity.
Maclean's commitment to sustainability adds another layer to the collection's story. "It's a big restriction. It's really hard," he admits about working primarily with found materials. "Fashion is so polluting. We really want to save the environment as much as we can." This tension between preservation and reinvention mirrors the collection's thematic exploration of heritage.
The designer's grandmother makes a surprising appearance in the narrative – a woman who attended the last debutante ball before World War II but spent the evening reading in the bathroom, bored by aristocratic pageantry. This anecdote becomes emblematic of Maclean's approach: acknowledging tradition while refusing to be constrained by it.
With "Bastard Aristocrat," Hector Maclean has crafted a visual essay on British identity that examines both its splendor and contradictions. The collection stands as a photographic love letter to his homeland, celebrating its beauty while questioning who gets to claim ownership of national symbols.
As the dim church lighting sculpted each look into dramatic relief, Maclean presented his vision of "a British utopia, taking the aesthetic beauty of all aspects of the UK's diverse cultures and bringing it together in one love letter to his home: celebrating the idea that we are all royalty."
Article by Aaayush Anima Aggarwal, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Photography by Sophia Stefellé and Niamh Grace
Tearsheets by Robin Chou, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine
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