PPR, Alexander McQueen’s parent company, has indicated through the past weeks that business would continue on without its founder and creative director. Always one of the highlights of Paris Fashion Week McQueen was scheduled to show this week... however given the situation the company decided to forgo a formal runway show and instead have a private showing of the collection which took place Tuesday. The final showpieces, which were created by McQueen just weeks before he took his own life, were presented in a salon at the headquarters of luxury titan Francois Pinault. The soundtrack for the show consisted of haunting operatic and classical music that McQueen had been listening to as he created and fitted the 2010 fall/winter collection. The presentation itself was obviously quite solemn.
In his final presentation McQueen continued to experiment and express extreme creativity. The elaborate creations were a combination of old-world romanticism and modern technology. Models walked with golden feather Mohawks and wore sandals on their feet that were wreathed in gilded roses. The garments were incredibly elaborate. Many of the pieces had digitally captured works of art which had been weaved right into the fabrics. The collection is indeed extraordinary... here is a look at a few of my favourite pieces:
Reportedly tears were spotted in the eyes of some viewers as the elaborate finale dress entered: an incredible coat of gold feathers that ended in a froth of embroidered tulle. (
below right)
The collection is truly memorable. The end of the show notes for McQueen’s final collection read: “Each piece is unique, as was he.”
Such a true statement. R.I.P. (Lee) Alexander McQueen.
“People always ask if I think about a concept or the show or the front row or whatever first. No! F**k off! The client comes first! The collection is driven by what clients want in different parts of the world, so I want them to be able to see it straight away and to judge it for themselves. Well I just think that which celebrities are wearing it, what reviews say—none of it matters if it’s all there for people to make their own minds up. I’m 40 now, but I want this to be a company that lives way beyond me, and I believe that customers are more important to making that happen than press. When I’m dead, hopefully this house will still be going. On a spaceship. Hopping up and down above the earth.” -Alexander McQueen in
Love Spring/Summer 2010 Issue (Photos courtesy of: Getty Image Entertainment)