Once upon a time, earlier this summer, a close friend and muse of Hector Maclean shared a thought-provoking comment with the British designer. “I am no longer chasing the dragon,” she said, in reference to overcoming her personal drug addictions. This resonated with Hector, not only because of his own love of dragons but also because of the recent health issues he too has been fighting. “We all face battles. It’s not always a fairytale, but it’s part of existing and surviving. We all get a little bit bloodied and become a bit of a dragon, but it matters what kind of dragon you want to be,” he mused.  Thus spawned the epic tale of heroism told across Hector’s runway for Spring Summer 2026: The Girl Who Ate The Dragon.

Strong women have always been the basis of Hector’s work but rather than focusing on a specific being for this season, he instead looked to a trope: the lowly, hapless, seemingly helpless maiden of dark age fairytales. The initial looks open our story with pure and virginal white and off-white tones within subtly sword-inspired pieces. Here too, tight corsetry restricts the movement of draping fabrics below. This transitions into Joan of Arc-inspired looks with rhinestone-coated mesh as she becomes her own knight in shining armour, followed by a trail of blood red looks as she goes into the climactic battle. Staining, hand-done by Maclean, mirrors scarring and being forever impacted by your experiences, whilst also resembling the moat of molten lava so often entrapping the maiden in her castle prison. As she consumes her dragon guard, from the ashes of who she used to be arises a new, scaly armour – “you don’t have to become what you’ve beaten, but it definitely changes you,” Hector explains. 3D-printed scutes and hardened, structured tails adorn the maiden gowns of yore. Dragon symbolism is woven into the mesh of her armoured jumpsuit, and jewels across pieces resemble the treasures of Smaug in The Hobbit. The beating heart of her foes and the broken bones of her enemies become her accessories. Naturally, this is all then underscored by the signature ‘90s grunge which defines Hector Maclean’s work.

 Hector would like to pay a special thank you to Henry&Henry for the fine jewellery, JW Pei for the shoes and bags, Fulton Umbrellas and FuRuilin for the accessories, GelBottle Inc for the manicure sponsorship, St. Martin In The Fields for the venue, and Absolute and Dot Major of NIGHT Manoeuvres for their music curation at the show and after party. Additionally, thank you to NuFACE, Good Earth, Nossa and Good Truck Co. for their continued support. Hector would also like to thank Sunil Poduval and family, and Alexandra Georgette Oley at HardCOPY Magazine in bringing this show together.

Words & Images Courtesy: Cassel Consultancy