March 5, 2023 |
If any house can claim tailoring supremacy it is Alexander Mcqueen. The founder Lee McQueen trained on Savile row and Sarah Burton stays true to his devotion to impeccable but innovative cut. The inspiration, she said, was “Human anatomy, the anatomy of clothing, the anatomy of flowers.” She translated that into a masterclass in tailoring, playing with proportion, cut and silhouette, breaking the rules as only someone who knows them instinctively can do. She used traditional men’s fabrics for feminine pieces with Naomi Campbell opening the show in a corseted jumpsuit in black wool barathea. She put men in corsets and women in masculine trouser suits, creating a sharp, unisex sense of excellence. There was plenty of play and innovation. Jackets were worn upside down, and Burton described her new and spectacularly leg-lengthening, heeled trousers as “bumsters in reverse”. Even the rib cage knits had a sense of bone structure.
For evening, orchid motifs blossomed on trench coats and gowns featuring spectacular, sinuous beading. Also of note was the casting with Burton using models of different sizes, including women who fall between the catwalk extremes of very thin and very curvy. Regular women are as rare as the most precious orchid on the Paris catwalks. This collection was about the beauty of the body and everybody looks good in McQueen.
Photography courtesy of Alexander McQueen.
