Matty Bovan’s Spring/Summer 2020 show began with a flash of red light and a symphony of strings at the British Fashion Council show space. Titled Hope and Fear, this season’s collection was a nod to the anxieties and uncertainties of the future amidst Brexit and climate crisis.

Last season’s ballgowns were switched out for more pared-back, restrained silhouettes, taking a more utilitarian approach in subdued tones. Bomber jackets and cut-out biker pants developed into prairie dresses and draped skirts in the cacophony of deconstructed textiles and garish Liberty florals that Bovan is known for. Romantic echoes of Edwardian days manifested through leg-of-mutton sleeves and futon-like dresses warped around the torso, turning Bovan’s trademark bell-bottom silhouettes upside down. Lacing featured heavily in the details, running down the sides of a forest-green trouser and crisscrossing over the front of a voluminous skirt.

This season’s prints took inspiration from the crafty palette of British textile designer William Morris, which introduced a sense of familiarity. While Bovan collaborated with milliner Stephen Jones to create a collection of masks, adding a futuristic edge to the runway. Whether they were a protective shield to the unforeseeable future or a gesture to the gamification of the current times, the headpieces evoked an uncanny likeness to augmented reality face filters.