Fans of Rory William Docherty will know him for his “Painter’s Shirt” with floppy ties that hang loose around the neck or can be tied in a knot-style bow. However, if anyone was doubtful of his signature, his second London Fashion Week presentation “What Ties Us Together Collection” SS27 clarified that.
It’s a reoccurring motif of his work and it was presented en masse and to great effect with trompe l’oeil knots printed on organza and then layered over with 3D knots that seem to dance across garments or became understated neck ties.
Intricateness met with sophisticated lightness, and they were created by Docherty with a deeper meaning that we love.
Rory William Docherty ‘What Ties Us Together’ SS27. Photography Leonard Corfu
With an interest in subconscious creative repetition, Docherty follows his own process. Beginning with a hand-knotted rope of newsprint, carefully observed, and drawn large-scale in pencil, the original artwork becomes a design woven in bespoke silk jacquard.
Rory William Docherty ‘What Ties Us Together’ SS27. Photography Leonard Corfu
A T-shirt version of the knotted rope, this time crafted in silk dupion, is knotted together with the ends left to flip and flop like fish caught in a net. The designer’s sub-conscious reference: the original Painter’s Shirt with knotted ties, inspired by drawings of puffins on the Isle of Skye, their beaks full of live herrings.
Rory William Docherty ‘What Ties Us Together SS27. A feature were the solid jewellery knots hand cast in bronze, silver and 18-carat gold that resemble the cinch and soft drape of knotted fabric by maker Jordan Draffin. And straw hats made for Docherty by Lyttleton Hat Co. Photography Leonard Corfu
Docherty chose the Andaz London’s 1901 ballroom dome to present his collection because the glass canopy because it “echoes the purity of line and proportion” and provided natural filtered light.
There is also a pull towards the sea in the collection. Not nautical but natural, with fluid silks, coastal hues and linens shot through with shining threads that shimmer like sun on sand.
Rory William Docherty ‘What Ties Us Together’ SS27. Photography Leonard Corfu
Docherty’s AW26 collection “Identity” was a direct reflection of the ruggedly beautiful Outer Hebrides, the colour palette intersperses the rich brown and pale ochre of peat moorland with vibrant shades of purple heather, the grey-blue Lewisian Gneiss rocky outcrops with white sandy beaches and iridescent green dancing sea foam. Each shade is distinct when apart but, brought together, forms a richer story.
While his debut London Fashion Week collection “The Tides” SS25 drew inspiration from the underwater landscapes of Aotearoa, New Zealand’s rugged coastlines. Sea grass sketches drift across trench coats and dresses, layering into a camouflage of shoreline textures.
Rory William Docherty ‘What Ties Us Together’ SS27. Photography Leonard Corfu
“’What Ties Us Together’ explores shared values, mutual respect, a care for craftsmanship and the collective subconscious that echoes through creatives. It’s a natural step on from my last collection, ‘Identity’, which was an exploration of people, place and provenance,” says Docherty.
