Having debuted in London last season with a collection drenched in 90s nostalgia, Conner Ives’ sophomore show was a continuation of the designer’s decade mash-up. Inviting us on a whistle-stop tour of iconic fashion moments through pop culture history, Ives makes for the ultimate tour guide. Remembering the formative moment of seeing Ghesquiere’s FW 2006 Balenciaga for the first time, “and going absolutely feral,” the US designer is on a mission to spark fashion mania for the next generation. 

Titled Magnolia, the collection sought inspiration from Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 film of the same name, charting the lives and loves of an intertwining cast of characters. Ives took the same approach, assigning each model a character from his encyclopaedic backlog of pop-culture knowledge – it was a who’s who of 90s and 00s icons. The Glasto Girl saw a Kate Moss-inspired ensemble complete with faux fur gilet and knee-high boots saunter down the runway while The Bartender harked back to David McNally’s 2000 rom-com Coyote Ugly. A closing bridal look was a remake of the wedding dress from Lindsay Lohan’s 1998 version of The Parent Trap – major.

Setting out to push a more refined image this season – while also having a hell of a lot of fun with it – saw slinky fringed skirts crafted from upcycled silk scarves in hues of chartreuse and pastel pink stand alongside minimalist tailoring in muted shades of green and grey. Vintage tees were spliced into a bias-cut dress, jersey fabric was elevated into a floor-length hooded lilac gown, and recycled denim was fashioned into straight leg jeans and flowing maxi skirts. In an ode to the popular culture of days gone by, Ives manifested a vision for the future, summed up perfectly with a parting quote from Magnolia; “We may be through with the past, but the past is never through with us.”