Some people online swear that 2026 has the same energy as 2016, and New York Fashion Week this year only added to the evidence that time is cyclical, not linear. On Friday, February 13, I headed to St Paul’s German Lutheran Church for Boy London America’s AW26 show, ‘Guillotine’. Having only seen ‘BOY’ hats on old photos of Boy George, Warhol and Rihanna, I had no idea what to expect. There was a time when Boy London was a pivotal part of the UK punk scene, but it’s been many years since the brand has held any type of cultural influence. Instead of snapbacks and baggy tees with big BOY logos, models walked the church aisle on Friday night for the FW26 collection, ‘Guillotine’, in pirate eye-patches, leather gloves, cross necklaces and plenty of straps, snaps, D-rings and zippers.

The first Boy London boutique opened in 1976 at 153 Kings Road and was popularised by the likes of Sid Vicious and Madonna in the 1980s as a symbol of counter-cultural rebellion. In 1985 however, the store closed, after becoming a victim of its own success. Since then, the world has changed, and so, it seems, has Boy London. After dropping off and falling under criticism for its logo (which looked very similar to the Nazi eagle), Boy London America has burned the eagle and is, apparently, so back. It’s also separate from Boy London (UK), which is more than slightly confusing.

There have been a number of times when it’s looked like Boy London was on the brink of a comeback. The hints have been there – the resurrection of the health goth on TikTok and Gen Z’s love of ironic and satirical fashion – but there hasn’t been that breakthrough just yet. Boy London America’s new creative director, Can Tran, has been tasked with the mission to make the brand cool again and for his first collection took inspiration from original designs in the archives, as well as from medieval visual culture. He mentioned the first ideas for ‘Guillotine’ coming to him on No Kings Day, but wouldn’t go into specifics on what made that connection. There was a Camille Desmoulins in the shownotes that possibly summed it up: “The blade arrives when silence is no longer possible.”

To Tran, punk in America today looks like harnessed structures, unique closures and restrained graphic tension. Boy London America are calling it “a future cut from history”. Ahead of the show, we spoke to him about what he sees for the ‘resurrection’ of the heritage brand.

What was the inspiration behind the collection?

Can Tran: You can’t really talk about inspiration without really understanding the past. Myself and my team did a lot of archival research. We took a lot of time thinking about what Boy was and what Boy could be. The inspirations are bringing back archival silhouettes, pieces and ideas.

To you, what could Boy London America be?

Can Tran: I’ve always wanted to imagine it in an elevated way, dressier. We are not losing the street element – there are casual pieces in there – but when I was thinking about this collection, I was thinking of what we could do in changing fabrication and silhouettes. I also wanted the collection to have an air of medieval touch.

Why medieval specifically?

Can Tran: For this particular collection, I think it makes a lot of sense when you think about what punk was and is. It’s this rebellion, it’s this subculture of restraints and conformity. And there are a lot of bondage element which aligns perfectly with the medieval era and the true original bondage. I love the touches of armour and the dress of that period of time. That’s why we call this collection ‘Guillotine’.

You chose to make your debut in a church. Talk me through that!

Can Tran: A church lends to the vibes of ‘Guillotine’. It’s Friday the thirteenth, and it’s a very important number to me. I was born on the thirteenth, so that number spoke to me early on when I was developing the collection. You’ll see it in the collection; it looks like a B when you write one and three together.

Do you think now is the time for a Boy London revival?

Can Tran: I was brought onto this project last year, and it’s the fiftieth anniversary of Boy London this year. We have been building towards this moment and didn’t want to wait any longer. What better time than now?

What can we expect to be different about Boy London America moving forward?

Can Tran: Better fabrication, a wider range of silhouettes, while maintaining a lot of core values in the ethos of what Boy did.

And a new logo, it seems?

Can Tran: Yes, a new logo! A lot of things are changing, and I’m excited for everyone to see what we’ve been building.