The Talia Byre Woman? She’s (almost) all grown-up

Inside a former Hackney bus depot is Talia Byre​’s studio, home to an all-woman team. Nancy, a CSM student on placement, works on a navy piece of fabric, while Ellie, a long-time member of the design team, is stood by a machine in the corner – she also oversees comms. ​“We’ve not worked with many men – not intentionally, but it just doesn’t happen for us,” Talia says matter-of-factly, leaning against a table of fabric swatches.

This small yet close-knit team has been instrumental to the designer’s SS26 collection, which Talia describes as having ​“a seriousness” to it. ​“The brand is more everyday wear, but I was thinking about the entire wardrobe [this season],” she says. ​“The through line is that you want to look a certain level of elevated but not too much.”

She’s not wrong. On the wall are pictures of old Sonia Rykiel tops and choice vintage references. On the floor, IKEA bags overflow with studded UGG boots (more on that later). At the centre of it all is a rail showcasing the new line: sheer trouser sets in paisley prints, tactile rugby tops, dogtooth shorts and structured pilot jackets. Apron dresses are a new introduction this season, each with jolts of colour – as though ​“a painter had swiped a brush across them”. Meanwhile, gowns with double-front layering mark Talia’s official foray into eveningwear. ​“The apron dresses started with this idea of cleansing or a bit of a refresh,” she says, pointing to her favourite pieces this season. ​“We were thinking, ​‘What would [we] want to wear?’”

Reminders of previous seasons are parked on rails outside the atelier’s door – shearling gilets, red striped knits and cowhide pieces – all indicative of this shape-shifting young woman who’s a little polished but, ultimately, doesn’t take herself too seriously. Could it be that the Talia Byre woman isn’t a girl, but not yet a woman? I put the question to Talia. ​“Yes!” she exclaims, gesturing towards more of the fanciful new season pieces: a compact studded bag with detachable handles, a towel holder and a high-cut towelling bodysuit nicknamed Pamela Anderson, for obvious reasons. ​“There’s so much excitement around the Phoebe [Philo] woman or the Alaïa woman, or a Jil [Sander] woman or a Chloé woman. But what about the woman who sits just beneath that bracket?”

Family is at the crux of the five-year-old brand. The previous collection, titled Lily Byre, was an ode to her great aunty, the namesake of both her brand, ​“Byre,” and her great uncle’s boutique, Lucinda Byre. Talia frequently draws inspiration from that store, a Liverpool high-street gem that shuttered in 1982. In her studio, she pulls out a few original Lucinda V‑neck jumpers, sourced from Portobello Road – the very starting point for the tactile fitted tops in the collection.

Most recently, a summer trip to Hydra, Greece, had her thinking about her grandmother, too. ​“I was reading this amazing Deborah Levy book called Real Estate, and at the end of one of the chapters, she stayed in Hydra, and I was staying in a very similar cottage, all dark wood – very ​‘grandma’s house’ vibes.”

She points to the mood board pinned with oversized travel bags, William Morris bed sets and a paisley sofa set with built-in curtains. ​“It felt so comforting. [After the trip], I created a floral print – a first – and it came from this dress that was my great-grandma’s.” One of the studio team members drapes the original dress over a sofa in the kitchen across from the atelier. True to form, Talia’s reimagined the pattern as a punchier, ​“very graphic floral”, now screen-printed onto towelling. But Greece wasn’t the only place that proved transformative this season.

A visit to New York for work (one of three this year, during which both Talia and Ellie ​“hustled and also ended up cat-sitting” for a place to stay) led to a chance discovery: a vintage store where they picked up sheer shorts, a chartreuse ​’80s-style jacket and a wine terry-cloth bodysuit – all of which became key reference points. The city holds a special place in Talia’s heart. So much so, she says, that should the eponymous brand ever relocate, ​“New York would be the place.” Still, she’s quick to affirm: London is home for now. ​“It’s our community and where our world is.”

As I prepare to leave the studio, I ask about the bags of UGG boots on the floor. It turns out Talia has collaborated with the brand for SS26. ​“It’s our first shoe partnership. It was a challenge, but a fun one,” she notes. Styles include studded boots with upturned shearling flaps, some tall black iterations, and, most excitingly, low-cut boots – again, featuring plush shearling – with wraparound detailing.

With an ever-evolving vision comes a slightly grander show location. Her previously intimate shows – capped at around 30 press – have now expanded to 85, with this season’s presentation taking place inside the Asprey Building, Vauxhall, a sprawling penthouse. ​“It’s important to keep people on their toes!” she says.

Presenting her most ambitious show yet – bigger guestlist, bolder looks – she’s doing exactly that.