ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS COLLECTION!


(All photos and article below taken from WWD)
Brava, Sarah Burton! One cannot imagine the pressure this young woman must have felt while designing her first big runway collection following the death of her friend and mentor, Alexander McQueen. Her debut at the house had to telegraph both homage and sense of self. Burton accomplished both, beautifully.

In an exclusive interview with WWD last week, she characterized herself as “a bit lighter” than McQueen. That came across subtly, but with crystal clarity, from the first look out. Throughout the entire lineup, the silhouette was either unmistakably McQueen or related to his lexicon in a specific manner. One, a white tailcoat and pants, was a signature motif, but was made from layers of raw-edged silk that softened on the body for gentle structure.

Burton had sought to make the collection, inspired by nonspecific British paganism, “tender.” Her girls’ pale faces and intricately plaited hair set the tone, as did her ample references to nature, their impact heightened by plentiful handwork. Two white cotton lace dresses that had the look of old tablecloths got artisanal crocheted overlays; other stunning pieces were crafted from hand-painted feather butterflies and intense black leather leaves. And there were spectacular gowns, one an explosion of delicate feathers, another in silk chiffon, its complicated, multihued texture a take on the iris. Other looks were crafted all or partly from corn silk and what appeared to be sheaves of wheat. Perhaps the reference to the harvest and rebirth was intentional, perhaps not. Either way, it felt plenty personal, as did Burton’s choice of song for the finale: “I’ll Be There.”

As first steps go, this was fabulous. Burton established herself as a worthy successor to a genuine fashion genius. Yet she knows that she has more to do than just prove that she can continue McQueen’s remarkable legacy. Not only an artist, McQueen was also a fabulous designer who made a lot of very real, very chic clothes. “There’s this myth that it’s an unwearable house,” Burton told WWD. Let’s hope she can shake the myth while retaining the glory.