Seán McGirr directly cited Robin Hardy’s enthralling and unsettling 1973 folk horror The Wicker Man in his show notes – drawing from the Summerisle community’s reverence for nature and its questionable rites of sacrifice, which fed directly into the designer’s vision for the season. The venue was transformed to resemble the belly of the wicker beast – a cavernous, dimly lit space decorated with crowned maypole structures crafted from 8000m of hessian ribbon, natural foliage and cork straps.

Tension was in the air. “Pulling between carnal restraint and release… Navigating order and an opposing impulse… A sartorial push and pull, journeying through stifling desire and deliverance.” Through these thoughts, McGirr channelled his own McQueen ceremony – subverting traditional silhouettes and symbolic codes into something dark and compelling.

Uniformity – particularly the rigidity of officer dress – quickly came undone, sliced into new forms. Jackets appeared to peel open and mutate, shirting and poplin dresses were cinched tightly, contorting around the body, and trousers reintroduced McQueen’s iconic bumster silhouette – reengineered with adjustable buckle hardware. Leather dresses hung from the shoulders as though suspended mid-ritual, while fabrics unravelled and intricate flame embellishments grew and grew. As the show went on, the music intensified (an original score written and performed live by A.G. Cook), and a number of looks were adorned with floral decoration evoking the kind of ritualistic finery found in folkloric myth.

Nature, ever-present in The Wicker Man – and in the house of McQueen – was a constant undercurrent. Abstract insect prints looked like Rorschach tests, while scorched spray-paint dégradé and flickering fire embellishments spoke of nature’s intensity and power. Then, the soundtrack shifted – lighter, more euphoric. The final look: a billowing white parachute silk dress that trailed behind the model like smoke or spirit, carrying a sense of ethereality, maybe even protection. Had the ritual ended? Had we ascended?