Alexander McQueen pre-fall 2021: the balance of contrasts
An Alexander Mcqueen’s creation according to Sarah Burton is the result of a game of contrasts, a search for balance in chaos, an encounter of fragility and strength coexisting in the same weave.
The symphony for this pre-fall collection does not change. The dichotomies embodied in the clothes reflect this time the coexistence of two different elements, the English and the Scottish. Precisely the juxtaposition of these two roots could have a wider political meaning, considering the uncertain situation in post-brexit England.
The proposal for womenswear includes the classic tight silhouettes at the waist that descend wide along the body, reminiscent of the Victorian style. On these, stands a multitude of contrasting elements, formal and informal cuts, delicate fabrics (silk, cotton, wool) combined with more aggressive leather details.
Bomber jackets interrupted by sartorial denim pieces were very interesting, as well as camel coats with military bomber sleeves. Gowns deserve a separate consideration; the Victorian style is enriched with contemporary traits thanks to the tight leather belts at the waist, the wide balloon sleeves on the corsets and the light flounces soften the urban style with inflections from a cottage core soul.
The classic combat boots are combined with delicate accessories; the perfect combination for the challenges of the modern world. The ultramarine blue poly-faille scoop dress with crystal embroidery was simply stunning.
The menswear collection incorporated some elements from women’s, especially what concerns the contrasts of fabrics and materials on coats, in tight silhouettes – here declined in more severe and poor details – in poplin shirts and combat boots.
A detail not to be underestimated that concerns both collections, is the sustainable footprint that distinguishes them. “For both the men’s and women’s collections, I made a decision early on in lockdown only to use fabrics that we already had; print on them, reinvent them, and make them feel new”, Burton said.
“I believe that it is our responsibility to protect the things we love from the past, to preserve our values, signatures, and history, but it is also our job to innovate” she observed. “There is comfort in familiarity and excitement in experimentation. The two coexist.”
