The studio still is not ready, and the reason is simply the weather. We have had rain nearly every day since the new year, and the garage is packed with furniture I cannot move out in the wet. The electricians are waiting on me to empty it before they can fit the sockets.

So no fabric this week. Instead I want to show you the Fall 2026 ready to wear collections, because what is on those runways is very much what we have been doing together.

I also want to talk about the in-person workshops properly, since that is where my head has been for the last few weeks.

What We Covered:

• Went through the Fall 2026 collections from New York and London and picked out looks built from the same geometry we use: rectangular shapes, triangles and tube shapes recombined.
• Pointed at a Roksanda dress and jacket that come straight from a rectangle, and noted we have already made something very close. Clean lines, smart cuts, the same aesthetic.
• Explained why this matters commercially. What appears in high-end ready to wear this winter turns up in Zara, Mango and ASOS by the following season, so learning the technique now puts you ahead of the shops.
• Called the direction for the coming seasons: volume, but softer and more defined around the body than the boxy masculine shapes of the last two years. Volume somewhere, whether shoulder, sleeve or hem.
• Noted the fabric story: a lot of shine, satin, lamé, leather, chiffon and lace, richer colours, more texture and pattern, and maximalism returning with a distinctly feminine feel.
• Spotted deliberately frayed and frilled edges coming back, in a controlled way. That is exactly what we looked at on the Marie Antoinette gowns a few weeks ago, and it is still chic when handled well.
• Found a Jacquemus jacket and remarked that Paula has effectively already made it, and a Carolina Herrera skirt that is our Freya, in the same fabric in red.
• Talked through adapting geometric shapes to different bodies, which is the objection I hear most. A large triangle placed over the part of you that already carries volume will add to it, so reverse the shape or scale it down and place it strategically.
• Showed how to combine techniques for effect: geometric cutting plus colour blocking or pattern placement creates the illusion you want, and that combination is what separates a design that works on a real body from one that only works on a runway model.
• Sketched the workshop plan: creative draping with geometrical cutting as the bulk of it, plus personal blocks and base patterns. Possibly one day per shape, covering how the same technique reads on an apple, pear or rectangular body, or with a fuller bust or hip.

Questions & Answers:

• Q: I was inspired by the Marie Antoinette exhibition, especially the three quarter sleeve hooded jacket. I can see it layered over a sheer three quarter sleeve blouse.
• A: I love that too, and we will absolutely do more creative draping. There are so many techniques I have not had time to share yet, and the potential there is very rich.
• Q: My eye can now see the triangle creative cut in designs.
• A: That is exactly the point. Once you have worked with triangles and rectangles you cannot unsee them, and you look at a garment anywhere and know how it was put together. It makes you feel far more professional in your own skill.
• Q: Could you set aside time in the live sessions for questions from people watching online?
• A: Yes, and I need to plan the timing better so more of you can join live. Friends are watching from very different time zones, and I would like more conversation in these rather than me talking alone.

Tell me what you would most like the workshops to cover. I will draft some ideas and send a survey, but if you already know, email me or post in the group.

There are several looks from these collections I want to turn into projects for us, and that totem dress is definitely one of them.

Wish me some dry weather so I can finally empty the garage and get the workspace running. Then we can get back to demos with fabric and the dress forms.