Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 2012 campaign film

What is this supposed to be? WTF Sarah? It's like 80's at it's worst. THIS IS THE END.

My Queen

            My beloved are finally here! And it's pure coincidence that my favourite fragrance is designed by Alexander McQueen... Well, actually it was Anne Flipo and Dominique Ropion who created it. And the bottle designer is Thomas Bastide. But you know what I mean. It's McQueen in the end. "It's a fairy tale and the fairy tale has no end. The idea of the fragrance is to last for eternity," he said.

Alexander McQueen - enameled skull rings

Why do they have to be so expensive? OH WHY?

McQueen Halloween

Diving for McQueen

          The New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn meets Alexander McQueen Creative Director Sarah Burton at the label’s Paris atelier to explore the house’s intricate, marine-inspired Spring/Summer 2012 collection in Dustin Lynn’s stunning portrait film. From: nowness.com

Alexander McQueen spring summer 2012

              It's been Sarah Burton's third collection for Alexander McQueen, after the king decided to leave the building. It's been the third nice, feminine, unsurprising collection. I'm slightly giving up my unconditional love for Alexander McQueen. Don't get me wrong, Sarah is doing just fine, all these collections are beautiful and each part of them is nearly a masterpiece in sewing, but it isn't Alexander McQueen anymore. There's no darkness and apocalypse anymore. Everything became too mild and a little bit too predictable. There's no brilliant madness here anymore. 

        “It’s all about Gaia, the wonder of nature, the sea.” said Sarah Burton about the spring/summer collection 2012. Sure, why not, the "Plato's Atlantis", the last spring 2010 show of Alexander McQueen was about the sea, too. There were all kinds of sea creatures there, but there weren't any mermaids. Who cares about the mermaids? I'm asking, where are the skulls? Where are the demons which were hiding in the depths of the McQueen sea? The sun doesn't shine at the seabed. 

            It would be unfair to say that all of Sarah's designs are equally boring. Sure thing. This collection  has a few truly beautiful pieces. In some of them, you can still hear the echoes of Alexander's creatures. Like those black demonic dresses which twine around the models bodies. And the ones made of sharp mother-of-pearls pieces or corals which remind of the early McQueen's designs, where models were risking their lives wearing his dresses. Masks are surely in the good-old festish style, too. But Sarah is systematically changing the direction in which Alexander headed. I'm guessing that after a few more shows, the kingdom of mother Gaia will entirely overthrow the McQueen kingdom. Sorry, but you won't be my queen. I'd rather hold on to the past, with my beloved demons.  

Beautiful backstage photos by Kevin Tachman

Runway photographed by Marcus Tondo/gorunway.com
You can see complete collection here: Vogue UK

Iris van Herpen

           "Iris van Herpen (born 1984 Wamel, The Netherlands) started her own label Iris van Herpen in 2007. She studied Fashion Design at ARTEZ (Arnhem) and did internships at Alexander McQueen in London and Claudy Jongstra in Amsterdam." www.irisvanherpen.com
           I'm deeply impressed. 

Iris ven Herpen Haute Couture Fall Winter 2011/2012 Collection:

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The exhibition celebrates Alexander McQueen’s remarkable vision and creativity, showcasing his ingenious fashions as works of art. Comprising approximately 100 designs – including many rare examples of his early work – the exhibition’s selection largely draws upon the extensive Alexander McQueen Archive in London. The pieces were photographed by Sølve Sundsbø on models transformed to look like mannequins using a combination of makeup and technology. Photography by Sølve Sundsbø courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. For more information: www.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen

Ensemble, Dante, autumn/winter 1996–97:

 Dress, VOSS, spring/summer 2001:

 Dress, Widows of Culloden, autumn/winter 2006–7:

“When we put the antlers on the model and then draped over it the lace embroidery that we had made, we had to poke them through a £2,000 piece of work. But then it worked because it looks like she’s rammed the piece of lace with her antlers. There’s always spontaneity. You’ve got to allow for that in my shows.” – Lee Alexander McQueen

 Dress, No. 13, spring/summer 1999:
“[The finale of this collection] was inspired by an installation by artist Rebecca Horn of two shotguns firing blood-red paint at each other.” – Lee Alexander McQueen

 Dress, autumn/winter 2010–11:

 Dress, Sarabande, spring/summer 2007:
“Remember Sam Taylor-Wood’s dying fruit? Things rot…I used flowers because they die. My mood was darkly romantic at the time.” – Lee Alexander McQueen

 Ensemble, Plato’s Atlantis, spring/summer 2010:
“[This collection predicted a future in which] the ice cap would melt…the waters would rise and…life on earth would have to evolve in order to live beneath the sea once more or perish…Humanity [would] go back to the place from whence it came.” – Lee Alexander McQueen

Dress, autumn/winter 2010:

Ensemble, It’s a Jungle Out There, Autumn/Winter 1997–98:

 Dress, Irere, Spring/Summer 2003:

 Dress, VOSS, Spring/Summer 2001:

 Ensemble, VOSS, Spring/Summer 2001:

 Dress, The Horn of Plenty, Autumn/Winter 2009–10:

All the materials were taken from official McQueen facebook fan page: Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen for The Rug Company (Salone del Mobile exhibition)

Alexander McQueen Milan boutique's windows during the Salone del Mobile, celebrating collaboration with The Rug Company:

Military Brocade Rug by Alexander McQueen for The Rug Company:

 Skull Cushions and Skull Rug by Alexander McQueen for The Rug Company:

 my oh my...

Hummingbird Cushions by Alexander McQueen for The Rug Company:

There's never enough McQueen

Alexander McQueen spring/summer 2011

"The collection is both bohemian and pagan in spirit. A controlled and technologically advanced environment is rejected in favor of the raw power of nature and a free spirit. The values of hard craftsmanship and the precious quality of found objects are upheld. Construction is light, pieces are intricately worked by hand. Patchwork embroidery, plaited hair, ribbon work, tooled leather, frayed raffia, hand pleated organza, embroidered white work, hand painted feather butterflies, gold bullion, corn dollies, twisted feathers, crochet, hand carved shoes lacquered with a porcelain effect. Each piece highlights the value of handcraft. The silhouette is predominantly soft and slender. Construction is light becoming increasingly elliptical as nature takes its course. Fabric appears almost to fall away from garments, disintegrating to reveal the body beneath. Jackets and tailcoats are cropped and narrow, worn with a low-rise trouser that finishes above the ankle. Gowns are ethereal, in ultra light silks, cotton voiles, chiffons, fille coupe and cotton organdie. An exaggerated hip idealizes the feminine form."

from:  www.alexandermcqueen.com

That is all I need to know about spring and summer.

I thought I would die while watching the first collection after Alexander McQueen's death. Well, I didn't die. I'm ok. I'm fine. It's all fine. I hope I won't die during the second one.

The show must go on.

"SARAH BURTON, the late Alexander McQueen's right-hand design aide, has been named creative director of the London-based fashion house." I've read on vouge.com. Well, I'm kinda sceptic about everyone else besides Alexander McQueen himself. But time will tell. Ok, I'm a little bit curious.