WITHIN a stripped down warehouse sweeping melodies of British composer Isobel Waller-Bridge gently signal the start of Alexander McQueen’s SS20 collection at PFW. Performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra, the drama of live string music is a subtle indication of the message framing the showcase as a whole. Though fashion month this September has brought us all entertainment with wild spectacles of elaborate art and boundary pushing fashion, the team over at Alexander McQueen seek to capture something quite different: a simple beauty formed through connection.
Playful, classic and elevated through a fine attention to detailing (a love of the house’s late founder), the SS20 collection also touches upon the importance of working locally to honour the natural resources surrounding us here in Great Britain.
Upon austere wooden floors fashion favourites such as Kaia Gerber, Adut Akech and Stella Tennant made their mark in the name of Alexander McQueen. Guided by the unique vision of Creative Director Sarah Burton, the clothing they wear evokes a deep connection with the house’s native land, Great Britain. With paired down styling and understated metaphorical touches, the celebration of British culture is most recognisable through the locally sourced fabric. The first set of looks, for example, were constructed with a beautiful type of linen which is only made in Northern Ireland. Playing with modern feminine silhouettes, this specific fabric helps highlight a celebration of connection to one’s own land.
The beauty of the English countryside was also hinted towards in the floral motif which was scattered intentionally throughout the collection. Making appearances in complex textures and tailoring or in print and sewing, the English flower was as understatedly beautiful as the collection at large.
Discussing her thought-process with this collection, Sarah Burton said, “I was interested in clarity and paring things down, in the essence of garments – stripping back to the toile. I love the idea of people having the time to make things together, the time to meet and talk together, the time to reconnect with the world.”
She certainly achieved her goal with Alexander McQueen SS20.
by Maria Noyen