LFW: Rixo focuses on occasionwear for AW23

For autumn/winter 2023, womenswear label Rixo, known for its vintage-inspired designs, is going back to its roots with a focus on more occasionwear pieces and gowns, a growing area for the brand as it enters its eighth year.

Orlagh McCloskey, co-founder of Rixo, said in a statement: “This collection is really significant for Henrietta and I. We’ve gone back to our roots and focused on an extension of our ready-to-wear range of true-occasion Rixo pieces filled with beautiful styles designed to make you feel amazing.

"We’ve put significant investment in-house to develop our fabrics and perfect our fits, ensuring we’re doing what we do best.”

Entitled ‘The Goddess of the Nile,’ Rixo took over St Pancras Renaissance Hotel’s Billing Office bar to showcase its AW23 collection in a catwalk and presentation format, featuring a diverse cast of models dressed in sleek, long eveningwear gowns and statement minis inspired by techniques, symbols and colours found in ancient Egyptian times.

The collection involves more elevated and intricate technique development than any previous season, explains Rixo in the show notes, with a focus on heavy embellishments and hand embroidery that fuses Art Deco and Egyptian patterns with 80s glam silhouettes.

Key print stories include ‘Ombre Bloom,’ a hand-drawn floral artwork using oil pastels and inks, ‘Klimt Stamp,’ based on an antique jewellery box found in Portobello vintage market, and ‘Topaz Dream,’ a “fun and conversational print,” hand-painted by McCloskey as Rixo’s take on ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics.

There is also ‘Cleo Patchwork,’ a reimagining of the traditional technique ‘Assuit,’ created with foil printing burnt out velvets and hand-painted geometric patterns.

Highlights include new style the ‘Ricky’ with a flattering square neckline and cut-outs at the waist, alongside the 90’s inspired halter neck ‘Samira’ gown with a delicate rose corsage and ‘Perri,’ a one-shouldered mini.

The AW23 collection will drop from September and will be available in sizes UK 6 to 24 as the brand continues to push forward with size diversity.