HECTOR MACLEAN SS27
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Hector Maclean Spring Summer 2027 Collection. London, September 18th, 2026
“I didn't grow up with much, and having to make the best of what you have makes you
more creative. I hate the feeling of anything being discarded — everything can be made
into something precious.”
Hector MacLean’s quote regarding his SS27 could not feel mor apt, considering what a success his show was, one would never have guessed that one day before the original venue cancelled on him. Clearly MacLean is a master of creativity both in clothes design and in everything that surrounds his brand. As we stood speaking to him straight after a rapturous applause it was hard to catch a moment for the crowds that surrounded the designer to congratulate him on an incredible show.
Words by Leigh Maynard
Photographs by Macky Mann
The Spring Summer 2027 collection was entitled ‘Obscuritas’, taking its name from the lattin for darkness. Drawn from MacLean's loss of three close friends to suicide, the designer uses his
Spring Summer 2027 collection to trace a journey from darkness into light.
A graduate of Central Saint Martins, MacLean refined his craft at Vivienne Westwood, Mark Fast, JW Anderson and Jonathan Saunders before debuting his own label at London Fashion Week in September 2023.
He shared some insight into the personal references that infused this collection. “It's all based around mental health, the idea of externalizing it, making it visible, that you can viscerally feel depression. I wanted people who have experienced depression to feel understood, to feel like they have a voice, to feel like something resonates and they understand it and they feel it. Personally, suffering with depression was so unbelievably hard. And so, it's been so nice to be able to say you're not alone to people who have really suffered depression, people who have really struggled, people who are feeling alone in this world. You're not alone, we all go through it. We all have past experiences, but it's making it understood.”
Here MacLean uses his creativity not only to raise awareness and as a form of personal catharsis. The result is an accomplished and stunningly beautiful collection achieved through painstaking hours not only of cutting and piecing together the clothes, but also hand painting them, each a work of art in itself, a joyful expression of emotions and release.
Silhouettes are classical yet contemporary, at times abstract, in tulle, stretch cotton, linen and wool. Fabrics are bleached, printed and, for the first time, hand painted. MacLean gave insight into his painterly process for this collection. “I did [the painting] with one assistant. Which was crazy. But it was, yeah, it was good. Just two of us making all those prints on fabric, on acrylic with a hope and a prayer and a dream.” Not only does this approach bring a striking collection brilliantly achieved through any budgetary constraints, but it also lends each garment a deeper layer of intimacy through the hours of attention given to each piece. The palette for each garment, was a riot of kaleidoscopic colour, each with its own symmetry.
Sustainability sits at the core of Maclean's practice. Obscuritas is built using zero-waste pattern cutting, keeping fabric out of landfill by design. Maclean is thankful this season to Belgarian Fabrics, and to the to Belgarian Fabrics, and to the family of the late Sophia Kokosalaki — her husband
Antony Baker and daughter Stelli — for archive fabric and tools. We are proud to partner with Dr Beckmann, whose focus on garment care and extending the life of clothing aligns naturally with Maclean's commitment to creating pieces designed to be valued and preserved.
“I love the team at Mind and what they're doing. I want this collection to speak to anyone who's
struggling with their mental health and to remind them that they are not alone, that there is support
available,” says Maclean.
MacLean shared what he learned from techniques used to create 'Obscuritas.' “I realized painting's bloody exhausting. I didn't realize how much it takes out of you to create and just paint. And there was Swarovski crystal work. We did so much crystal work, feather work. It was a lot. We had Jaffa Feathers, which were incredible ethically sourced feathers, and I was so thankful to work with them and make it honest and good.” It was a show that brought more drama through each piece with incredibly theatrical pieces completing the line up. For Hector the second finale was a particular favourite. “Yeah. It was insane. Absolutely. it was a huge painting.”
And just before he dashed off to a huge crowd waiting to share their enthusiasm for the show, he wanted to tell me how thankful he was to the venue for providing for his team as such short notice. Hector strikes us as someone not only hugely talented but also so very resourceful. Taking concepts, experiences and adversity and turning it into creative gold every time.
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