Marie Lueder on debuting her Pull&Bear collaboration at her SS26 LFW show

Before making a definitive decision that fashion was her path, designer Marie Lueder was torn between pursuing a career in fashion or art. But it was watching Raf Simons’ first Dior show in 2012 that brought her to tears and laid out her destiny as a designer. Since then, she has been carving out her own lane in London’s fashion underground. Her namesake label has built a cult following for its fluid, experimental silhouettes and its ability to flip history on its head, turning medieval symbols and ritualistic energy into something that feels futuristic, inclusive and entirely her own.

London has always been a breeding ground for experimental and forward-thinking design, but breaking through takes more than vision alone. Big partnerships and sponsorships can be game-changers for young designers, giving them the resources to scale up and the platform to reach new audiences. That’s where the British Fashion Council’s legendary NEWGEN programme comes in. Having launched the likes of Martine Rose, Jonathan Anderson, and Alexander McQueen, it’s one of the industry’s most prolific incubators of creative talent. Pull&Bear, the official sponsor of BFC NEWGEN, is pushing that mission forward with its ‘Canvas for Creativity’ project, pairing emerging designers with the brand’s global infrastructure.

This season, it’s Lueder’s turn. Her Pull&Bear capsule, dropping today at her SS26 show at London Fashion Week September, dives deep into her Castlecore world. Inspired by rewatching Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet, the collection features 20 garments and six accessories. “There’s a big cloud over the world. It’s quite dark, with sadness. So I felt like this film is somehow an interesting mixture,” she explains to us. “There’s a doomsday vibe you can feel, but also there’s so much about this crazy young love. It’s just very much this idea of being in the now, very present with your community.”

The pieces see gothic and medieval references colliding with the energy of club culture: chunky knits, reworked denim, transparent nylon outerwear and knee-high boots twisted with asymmetrical knots. The palette leans into rusty earth tones and washed textures. “There’s one hoodie with an asymmetric zipper, half neck polo, and it has like really nice writing [that says] in between light and shadows,” Lueder says. “I just hope [people see] these really secret messages in the garments”.

Below, she speaks to us about the collection, her design process and working with Pull&Bear. 

Hi Marie, congrats on the collab! What initially drew you to collaborating with Pull&Bear on this collection? 

Marie Lueder: I think, in general, understanding the times we live in, people don’t have money. And I always thought, the reason why I make my clothes contemporary or towards more luxury is that they are done with a lot of care and in small batches so they’re expensive. So I like the idea of democratising fashion in that way. If it’s done in the right way, I was totally open to it, and having the opportunity to also use all the facilities, work with a very professional team, and not having financial restraints. So it’s a perfect moment, because I love ideas. Ideas are what I care about the most. [With this collaboration] I could just go crazy.

What were your main inspirations for the collection?

Marie Lueder: I work quite chronologically. I kind of had a realisation or conclusion after the last show. We did a rave show for London Fashion Week with NEWGEN, and it was so fun. It was really about being in a moment because the future is so scary that I kind of wanted to find these communal moments of celebration. I looked into medieval carnival and just general things like football matches and places with this kind of collective spirit and was thinking about this collective moment. 

With these brand collaborations, how do you make sure the work feels authentic to you and your brand while still meeting in the middle with the brand?

Marie Lueder: I think the first thing is you need to trust your gut. If you feel like it feels right and it’s working, then I think it’s about asking a lot of questions to feel safe, and I did. We worked very strongly with the British Fashion Council, and I learned a lot about these collaborations with big corporations. We had a lawyer, support and we went to the contract together. I felt really safe and supported and I think that’s the main thing. If you can ask all the questions to make sure what I design is still mine after this, I can’t be taken advantage of and I know all the terms and conditions. So that was the case, and it was helpful to have the British Fashion Council there to support me in that step. Now I feel so much more confident to do it again.

The collection is debuting at your show. How do you see it merging with the rest of the collection? 

Marie Lueder: I had to be quite optimistic that the samples looked like how I designed them in the first place, which we started as a process months ago. We started at the same time I started my collection, so I kind of saw them and always thought they would come in at one point and support it. I think they designed it together in that way.

Was there something you learned about yourself and your creative process while working on this that was surprising to you? 

Marie Lueder: I think it gave me a lot of confidence because I thought, ‘Oh, I’m actually quite fast at making decisions’. I think that’s the main part I have confidence in: making decisions quickly and trusting what I know. I think that was really good for me and it didn’t feel so difficult or so different to what we’re doing here. I am very proud of my team, because I know what we did there with so much manpower and facilities.

It’s quite a big project to work on, I can imagine there’s a real sense of ‘yeah, okay, we’re doing this.’

Marie Lueder: Yes, and the team was incredible. It was crazy because we somehow ended up sitting on the floor altogether. I don’t know why but it was also funny, because the CEO of Pull&Bear walked by and I was like, ‘oh my god, we’re sitting on the floor’. But I think it just naturally happened; we were like kids playing. Whenever I recommended something [like a fabric] or asked for something, instead of getting a picture up on your phone or researching it on your computer, they were like ‘wait, we have this’. And then they run in one direction and got it and were so excited. Then just magic happened. It was like a kind of library, but like a physical library, where a thought immediately manifested into an object.

Do you have any favourite pieces from the collection?

Marie Lueder: There’s this one amazing outerwear puffer which I’m going to wear all winter. It’s so nice. I was a bit scared it would feel too close to my own jacket – let’s say from Lueder – but it managed to land somewhere different while still sitting in the same [world]. It has ruched hood sleeves with ripped inserts, and you can zip the hood all the way down so it turns into this cape-like piece. But if you close it, you get this spiral hanging on your forehead, which creates a shadow.

If you could describe the collection in three words or phrases, what would they be?

Marie Lueder: Unisex, muted colours and for every occasion. 

What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from the past few seasons of putting on shows?

Marie Lueder: The shows are when I feel the most calm. I realised I kind of start with the desire to have a specific show when I start the collection. I think about the space and a feeling first, and then I develop a collection. And then [at a show] I’m so excited to share that I’m just like ‘okay, I know this is gonna be great. We have a great team and I just have to present it now’. It’s like when food is ready.

Do you have any collaborations you’d love to do following this? 

Marie Lueder: My dream would be Marithé + François Girbaud, I would love to design for them. That would be great. And then for an artist collaboration, I would love to work with Alvaro Barrington. I’d also love to do an amazing fashion film, but with a very big film director.

I also want to make my own perfume. I kind of have it already. I made it with a perfumer, but I just need some funding for this.

What excites you the most about the future of Lueder?

Marie Lueder: I’m very happy that we have more of a platform to grow the brand now. It has definitely helped already to have my assistant work with me, which I’m very proud of – that was one of my biggest achievements this year, that she can work with me and I can pay her. 

I would also love to do more collaborations, like the one with Pull&Bear. I also love to work with them again. It was really great, more collaborations please!

Head to the gallery above to check out the collection.