Alexander McQueen Fall 24 Ready-To-Wear
Sean McGirr's highly anticipated debut, which was expected to fill the huge shoes of Alexander McQueen's previous creative director, certainly got everyone’s attention. The Dublin-born designer was not widely known before taking on this position. Sarah Burton, a British designer who worked closely with Lee Alexander, ended her 26-year experience at Alexander Mcqueen. Following Burton's departure, many were intrigued to see what McGirr would bring to the London-based house to boost the brand. His resume is undeniably great considering he began at Burberry and also previously worked at Dries Van Noten and JW Anderson. The fashion world lays a great deal of pressure on a fashion designer's debut. It is considered when the brand attracts the most attention, and when people are likely to be most critical of them. Leading up to the show, the general public appeared to have mixed sentiments about McGirr. There was genuine anticipation to see something new and different, but there was also concern because the brand has such a rich and respected history, and that it could ultimately turn out to be a poor imitation of the brand. Backstage, he commented about wanting this version of McQueen's feeling to be "uplifting" and "upbeat" — "there should be a lightness in the air somehow," he said. “It should have a sort of playful aggression to it, and should be kind of uplifting because I want to bring a kind of lightness to McQueen,” the designer said to Vogue. The McQueen Fall Winter 24 Collection shocked most people with an unexpected aesthetic.
The lineup featured a wide variety of designs, from enormous tube-like sweaters to shield-like garments. The persistent contrast in shapes and colors naturally drew your attention to the collection. The colors displayed were predominantly black, which fit the theme's somber tone. Other neutral tones include chestnut, dark brown, beige, greys, and white. The vibrant shades vary from neon, and royal blue, to vivid red.
Models walked down the center of the runway, which was outlined by two concrete tracks. Inspired by Lee McQueen's renowned 1995 'Birds' collection, the first model wears a single-sleeved black laminated jersey dress with her arms wrapped around her chest underneath. In addition, dresses in the lineup include the broken mirror mini-dress, which was inspired by smashed cellphone screens, draped leopard-print gowns (in neutral colors as well as candy apple red), and the finale's stainless steel car strapless corset dresses.
The show notes alluded to the approach that McGirr planned to take: “A rough opulence. Revealing the animal within. A compressed and elongated silhouette. Objects embedded and enveloped. Knitted statuary.” The intent of this message was conveyed on the runway in a stunning presentation of a clash amid tonal accents. He wasn't hesitant to experiment with incorporating hyperbolic shapes, delightful texturization using fur effects, bulky yarn knits, exotic prints, and polished leather.
Some admired tailoring seen through the denim wrapped and fastened tightly around their ankles, barrel-shaped tops that rose high above the neck, and also suit jackets, and leather trench coats with exaggerated shoulders that were very acute and cinched at the waist. Types of knitwear like extremely oversized sweaters with hoods and a matching set with a bra, long skirt, and cardigan.
Some of my favorite looks: I love the juxtaposition between the metal jacket and fur-detailed jeans. Also, the boxy fur-outlined jacket with a slanted zipper that runs halfway up the chest is something I expect to see people wearing this fall. Another favorite aspect of the styling has to be the animal-inspired footwear. They walked in "hoof" boots (with real metal horseshoes inserted in the soles), some with fur. Inflated boots are also seen, similar to if you could blow up a bag and use it as shoes. It definitely gives a fun element to the whole look.
Although certain references to Lee's work were occasionally found, many people were unimpressed with this new path. McGirr's lack of study into archives was obvious to many McQueen fans. While some may say that the compilation lacks aspects associated with more known eras, it is indisputable that McGirr's debut aroused attention.
