We may all now breathe a collective sigh of relief. While a new creative director’s first show gives us an idea of how they step into the shoes of their new role, it is the sophomore collection that tells us how they’ve learnt to walk in them. And after Saturday, it might be said that Seán McGirr has found his stride in the top job at McQueen. With the recent news of previous creative director Sarah Burton’s move to the top job at Givenchy, it’s reassuring to see that McGirr is up to the task of carrying on the legendary legacy of adored enfant terrible Lee Alexander McQueen.

Synthesising both a nod to a past season by the house’s founder (in this case, Lee’s own second runway show for FW94) and his own personal history, McGirr themed the new collection around a mythological figure from his native Ireland, the bean sidhe, or banshee. A faery woman who foretells death with a scream or wail, she is reinterpreted for the season by the creative lead as “feeling and forthright,” and a “guiding force.” Within the stately Paris École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, upon a lit steel runway set into the existing floor by Tom Scott, a succession of looks brought to life this sentiment.

Opening with a strong show of tailoring—a McQueen staple paying homage to the founder’s teenage apprenticeship on Savile Row—the collection embodied the inherently paradoxical concept of dark romanticism. Blazers and vests were bisected and dressed up with contrasting frills at the site of separation. Details on the trousers created an effect reminiscent of the “bumsters”. In other cases, the ruffed or oversized collars and light, ruched, frilly blouses layered under tuxedo jackets and over leather skirts, which then gave way to diaphanous, ghostly dresses, inflected a familiar Victorianism.

The floating, feathery looks of hand-teased organza echoed the misty effect of dry ice flowing over the runway. Exploding into fairytale colour, including mossy green, sunset orange, toxic yellow, and rosy pink, the collection quickly darkened into black cobweb lace. Houndstooth, trains, and pleats riffed on the London scene, with beaded skirts and jackets paving the way for the ultimate look: a swirling, starry, hooded gown of silver tendrils, at once haute and haunting.

Accessories-wise, platforms were sky-high; earrings brought asymmetry where it wasn’t; tassels swung emphatically; and high heels bloomed with feather-like details around the ankles. One model carried a handmirror dripping with beaded strands, a subtle, lyrical tie-in to the banshee myth, in which she is often described combing her hair.

All in all, McGirr’s second show felt very true to the epic folklore-inspired narrative DNA of the House of which he now stands at the helm. Better yet, it proved that with sufficient lead time (a luxury his first show didn’t really have) McGirr could deliver a considered and commercially viable collection on par with the more seasoned pros on the program this fashion week.