Like the rest of the fashion world, I have been anxiously awaiting the debut of Sean McGirr as creative director for Alexander McQueen. As a die-hard McQueen and Sarah Burton fan, I have not been welcoming McGirr with open arms. He has some pretty big shoes to fill. The McQueen legacy runs so deep, and McGirr himself had never worked with Lee McQueen, so a lot of people were quite wary of where he would take the brand. The Fall 2024 Ready To Wear collection aired last Saturday on the outskirts of Paris, and a lot of people’s fears were confirmed.
The show opened with a model wrapped in a laminated jersey, with her hands pinned to her body under the dress. The looks that followed were an array of tailored suits, engulfing furs, skinny jeans, and complex silhouettes, which highlighted Mcgirr’s background in menswear. McGirr’s roots were shown in various ways. Horse hoof boots stomped down the runway as an ode to the horse-keeping travelers from his hometown of Dublin Ireland. It did feel sort of reminiscent of McQueen, in a puzzling and distant way, but also felt like a collection for a newbie street-wear designer. The last three looks were different color variations of the same, very rigid, inflexible, latex mini dress, paired with unwavering chunky boots. The overall theme of the collection was “constriction”. Shown through high necklines, overwhelming knits and furs, and tight belts, this concept was definitely achieved. The models look like they’re being suffocated by the clothes they are wearing.
McGirr pulled inspiration from Lee McQueen. His main inspiration was the 1995 Spring collection “The Birds”, which is where he got his idea of constriction. The use of leather and the motif of a skull were highlighted, as an ode to Lee McQueen, and as well as a hint to where McGirr wanted to take the brand. There was a blend of high fashion, conceptualization, subversion, and street style. The collection, while carefully crafted with obvious ties to the brand, sort of felt like a hodge podge of ideas, shapes, and styles. This is to be expected, as it is McGirr’s first collection with that brand, and he is still finding his direction. However, it is still valid for the world to mourn Sarah Burton’s reign over the brand, as well as the style of Alexander McQueen we have all come to know and love. Overall, the collection was not bad. The backlash was expected, and backlash was received, it was not my favorite collection, but it was not horrific. It was a scent of what is to come for the brand, and although I’ll always love Sarah Burton more, I hope each collection under Sean McGirr just gets better and better.
Words by Alix Russell-Mann
Graphic by Aubrey Lauer