Subverting the stereotypes of his working-class Irish upbringing, Richard Malone’s SS17 show returned the hypnotic stripes of his previous collection. Taking cue from the bodycon clad silhouettes of the girls from his native town, the patterns drew inspiration from construction-site signage, mixing NHS blue dresses with traffic-cone orange stockings. Reworking the ordinary into the extraordinary, Malone’s precision cut pieces sculpted the models bodies, creating new-age shapes that balanced perfectly with their delicately undone hair. Carrying cross-body satchels like workmen, they walked in elevated work shirts and refashioned tunics. Working with what he knows as a starting point, Malone’s collections have an authentic voice – a far cry from the disingenuous cultural appropriation that saturates much of the industry. Keep it coming, Richard.