Fashion East this season saw the return of two brands with their sophomore outings — Jacek Gleba and Mayhew — as well as a debut from another, GOYAGOMA, helmed by creative director Traiceline Pratt.

For Jacek Gleba, the collection drew on the story of Salome, the Biblical figure famed for her Dance of the Seven Veils and for demanding the head of John the Baptist. Though Salome has captivated artists for centuries, it was Oscar Wilde’s controversial play that provided Gleba’s primary point of departure. Many editions of the text feature Aubrey Beardsley’s sinuous, stylised illustrations, and these became central to the designer’s mood board. In these drawings, exaggerated gestures and movement are central, which was conveyed throughout the collection. Gleba’s pieces, which teeter between sportswear and swimwear, are all about flashes of flesh and a distinct lack of gender. The result was a confident and seductive collection.

Then came the runway debut of Traiceline Pratt’s GOYAGOMA. The Bahamas-born, London-based designer has already built a reputation for himself, dressing the likes of A$AP Rocky, despite his brand being less than a year old. For this outing, there was a pronounced focus on fur, from traditional coats to sculptural tops that appeared to engulf the wearer entirely. The show forms the second instalment of a broader collection titled Something to Wear, this chapter honing in on after-hours dressing. The palette was dark, dominated by rich browns and inky blacks. Sleek slip dresses and sharply tailored suiting met patent creamy trousers and furry shirts. It was a good mix and match and an impressive debut.

Rounding out the show was Mayhew, the eponymous label of Louis Mayhew, who impressed last season with a paint-splattered collection that nodded to his former life as a painter and decorator. This time, the painter’s tape made a return, but the emphasis shifted towards deconstruction. Hats were sliced in half, and disparate fabrics were collaged together into singular, off-kilter garments. In the show notes, Mayhew described the collection as anchored in a sense of wonder and “the novel undertones of searching for treasure.” Mayhew’s work often feels like a sartorial treasure hunt, an excavation of found materials and unlikely fragments, reassembled with precision.