Molly Goddard has been on an eBay binge. Buying 60s Balenciaga and Dior, western shirts, and vintage gems. Unlike the majority of us, Goddard is buying with purpose, using these finds as a springboard of inspiration for this season’s collection. Each season, the designer and her team begin with an “experimental fitting”, twisting vintage pieces, archived samples and leftover toiles into new forms. It’s a playful, imaginative exercise that echoes the brand’s ethos.

From process to presentation, guests were invited to Cecil Sharp House, built to house the English Folk Dance Society, where guests sat in the main Kennedy Hall beneath a mural by Ivon Hitchens depicting abstract figures that represent key English folk dances and traditions. The soundtrack – You’re Nogood by Terry Riley – was cited in the show notes as an early example of electronic experimental remixing, and mirrored the collection’s central spirit of mix-and-match, cut and stitch, loop and repeat.

In a typically vibrant Goddard palette of pinks, reds and purples, silhouettes bounced, poofed and bubbled around models, their shapes inspired by Balenciaga and Dior gowns. Polka dot decorations mixed with ruffled textures, crinkled smocks, hand-knit jumpers and signature tulle skirts. (Adorable FW moment: outside the show a little girl walking past a guest in one of Goddard’s signature dresses very excitedly exclaimed to her dad, “Look! A princess!”) Inspired by Goddard’s eBay searches for childrenswear having recently had her second child (congrats!), western shirts were reimagined alongside flower embroidery, graphic shapes and super cool cowboy boot/ballet flats. On the front row sat Rosamund Pike and Edie Campbell, as well as some brides-to-be who had commissioned Goddard to design their wedding dresses. It’s this community the designer cultivates, and an overarching spirit of joy.