POET-LAB A/W 26 “Inside the Lab”

SøEdited Team
Article: Astrid Kearney
SøEditor-in-Chief: Chris Saint Sims 
​SøFashion Director: Savannah Barthorpe
Photography : @Marcus hartel
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POET-LAB

​Models glided through the veiled rooms, beautifully structured and thoughtfully tailored, moving with a quiet assurance that mirrored the collection’s controlled strength. The presentation revealed a meticulous eye for detail, drawing such demand that the PR team released two rounds of seating to accommodate the full-capacity audience.
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Unveiled at Spitalfields, “Inside the Lab” marked a quiet yet powerful reclamation of femininity, capturing the moment a woman moves from adapting to expectations to owning her own narrative. Rather than rebellion, the collection proposed clarity, control and self-definition, challenging refinement as something imposed and reframing it as consciously chosen.

​Designer Giuseppe Iaciofano choreographed the presentation himself and models moved with a measured, uneven cadence, with his partner composing the music, shaping a fully immersive environment where movement and sound sharpened the narrative.
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Inspired by the restraint of 1990s minimalism and stripped-back 1970s silhouettes, the collection introduced a new language of power grounded in dignity after rupture. Silhouettes were clean, intentional and precise. Exposure was deliberate, never decorative. Sensuality remained present, but without performance.

​Eyes were washed in soft buff with shadowed dark tones and a whisper of blue beneath, skin polished to a glossy glow, and bronze tracing cheekbones and temples to catch the light with quiet radiance.Hair was slicked back to the nape with lengths left flowing, while some models wore loose blonde, Marilyn-inspired wigs that introduced a note of theatricality against the collection’s restraint.
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Echoing the spirit of Diana, Princess of Wales — “I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head” — the collection reflected a movement away from external approval toward inner alignment.

Column and slip dresses appeared alongside tailored minimalist forms with elongated lines and bare shoulders. Asymmetry, off-shoulder cuts, open backs, restrained draping and subtle hardware emphasised intention over ornamentation. The mood throughout was one of quiet confidence, sensual control and intellectual femininity.

Credits:
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Creative Director: @giseppe.iaciofano 
Producer: @serenaneverstop
PR: I.dea Pr
Makeup Lead: @jacy_garland_hmua
Hair Lead: @prettygorgeoushair
Jewellery: @coalescence_jewellery
Sponsers: @backstagebeautyldn 
@miicosmetics
@ardellbeauty_uk

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