Llansteffan Castle looms over the Welsh coastline, enveloped in mist and myth. For the Spring/Summer 2025 campaign, Creative Director Seán McGirr summons the ghostly wail of the banshee, a figure native to Irish folklore. Shot by Glen Luchford, the images capture a cast of characters bound to land, sea, and sky by an unseen, unrelenting force.

The banshee has long been part of McQueen’s visual lexicon. In his second-ever runway show, Lee Alexander McQueen himself referenced Irish folklore, drawing from tales of wailing spirits said to forewarn of tragedy at sea. Shown at London’s legendary Café de Paris, that early collection strengthened McQueen’s ability to weave storytelling, history, and raw emotion into his designs. Now, decades later, Seán McGirr revisits this folkloric being with a new lens.

“The banshee was a figure that was very present in my childhood imagination growing up in Ireland, and she has recently taken on new meaning for me,” says McGirr. “She embodies a sense of strident self-expression that resonates now—something freeing that drives connection with others.”

For the collection, textures and silhouettes mimic the mythological creature’s spectral presence. Sharp tailoring that dissolves into frayed lace, shredded organza, and sculpted outerwear. The palette shifts between whites, gray, and blacks, enhanced by flickers of gold and ember-like orange.

Embellishments refine the silhouette, capturing the depth of a folkloric tale. Delicate beading, dimensional jewelry, and intricate embroidery add layers of texture and meaning to the collection.