Robyn Lynch explores her family’s heritage and pushes innovation in technical menswear, and for fall she delivered a compelling amalgam of both these elements. Lynch’s younger sister, Adrianna, a professional Irish dancer, was the starting point for the collection. Reflecting on a childhood spent watching her sister compete in sports halls, Lynch remarked in a preview, “It was always a dramatic affair—not unlike what you’d see on Dance Moms. But it was the costumes that really struck me; it’s the pageantry of it all, where there’s abundant glitz, embroidery, and symbolism.”
In contrast, Lynch collaborated with CP Company, a revered Italian sportswear brand celebrated for its outstanding performance-wear—a dream she has harbored since her days at Westminster University studying fashion design. This collaboration yielded 10 one-of-a-kind pieces, crafted by splicing and repurposing items from CP Company’s archive, such as the iconic Goggle jacket, with deadstock fabrics to create striking, offbeat propositions. Fast-forward to the show, and what truly stood out was Lynch’s ability to fuse the elaborate style of Irish dance attire with the refinement of technical fabrications.
As her runway moment unfolded in the intimate setting of the Old Selfridges Hotel show space, there were upcycled Columbia jackets with off-cut Aran-knit inserts, nylon windbreakers complete with contrast-piping details, and 3D merino wool hoodies. Some looks were paired with gorgeous tailored outdoor pants featuring dancing skirts adorned with Celtic knots and monogram embroidery, which were crafted in collaboration with John Carey Design, a label renowned for its expertise in Irish dance costumes.
This season, Lynch introduced a line of sneakers in collaboration with Italian shoemaker Geox, a brand favored by her father. There are three variations in color combinations, blending technical brown suede with her distinctive blue nylon. While Lynch’s work may initially seem like straightforward gorpcore fashion, her true talent lies in merging technicality and performance with nuanced, heartfelt concepts.