Sarah Burton Brings Back the Old Alexander McQueen With the Art of Tailoring
Alexander McQueen made their mark this weekend at Paris Fashion Week and I can not stop thinking about it. The alluring and classic collection goes back to the roots of Alexander McQueen. With harsh lines, dark colors, and a completely unisex line, Sarah Burton, the designer, was able to bring to life the old Alexander McQueen.
Photo: Alexander McQueen via Vogue Runway
Starting off with a bang, the first look in the show is worn by Naomi Campbell, a black jumpsuit with a swooped corset neckline, very sharp curves and points that help emphasize Naomi’s body. The entire collection is about accentuating the model’s body with master tailoring to make it look like everything was made-to-measure for the models themselves. Gender norms are washed away during this show with menswear fits and tailoring on the female models and feminine necklines and silhouettes on the male models.
The collection is titled “Anatomy” which points toward the fit, tailoring, and structure of the garments. One of the male models wore a grey jumpsuit with a feminine silhouette as it was fitted around the high waistline. Another wears a strapless corset top with suit features and sleek straight-leg pants to match. This specific look is very contradictory because the garments themselves have many feminine characteristics while the male model wearing them has very masculine and definitive features. However, both come together to create beauty in the differences and make the look and model stand out.
Photo: Alexander McQueen via Vogue Runway
The luxury brand uses orchids in many different collections to help the designer communicate their message to the audience. The flower’s male and female parts fuse together which correlates to this perfectly by emphasizing the unisex aspect of the clothes. While many of the pieces have an orchid printed over a large section of them, one of the last looks is a silver beaded dress with a corset shaped like an orchid. The bodice reaches the waist and spreads outward to dangle long strings of silver beads that end at the ankles.
Photo: Alexander McQueen via Vogue Runway
The chosen music for the show was actually from another Alexander McQueen show back in 1998. That collection was named “Joan of Arc” and had a very dark and sinister mood which is a very common theme when it comes to Alexander McQueen. Burton pulled from this show and went back to the basics of Alexander McQueen to create for the upcoming seasons.
This was Burton’s first collection after taking a three-year hiatus. She proves during this Paris Fashion Week that she is able to take the basics of design and create complex and captivating looks that will leave the audience wanting more.
