Alexander McQueen FW17.18 Ready-To-Wear Collection
INSPIRATION
The collection is inspired by pagan landscapes, creative communities and ancient traditions of Cornwall particularly the “Cloutie” Trees. These spiritual trees are places of pilgrimage, their branches and twigs adorned with colourful ribbons and personal treasures representing the hopes and dreams of those who tied them.
The collection is inspired by pagan landscapes, creative communities and ancient traditions of Cornwall particularly the “Cloutie” Trees. These spiritual trees are places of pilgrimage, their branches and twigs adorned with colourful ribbons and personal treasures representing the hopes and dreams of those who tied them.
THE COLLECTION
A fluid, elongated silhouette dominates. Edges are often kept raw. Medieval armour deconstructed and reinvented in their softest incarnations. Patch and pieced work, cross-stitching and naïve embroideries of flora and fauna – curative herbs, wild strawberries, English meadow flowers, baby deer and hares make their way across pashmina weight cashmere.
Gold and silver eyelets with trailing coloured lacing, resembling the ‘Cloutie’ ribbons, are applied in a feminine way on delicate engineered knits and washed leathers. The ‘Wishing Tree’ inspired tweed is shot through with bright coloured twisted yarns and chiffon strips of fuchsia, crimson and lichen green. Tailoring and tuxedos in soft black and grey cashmere felt with a discreet leather edge or draped like blankets around the body are worn with wide-legged trousers. Exploded shearling coat and jacket studded with gold or silver biker hardware elements.
Cross-stitching in the collection inspired by medieval needlework samplers from the 16th & 17th century are embroidered on denim, tulle and cashmere voile and finished with silk trailing threads, recalling the Lady of Shallot. Gossamer silk knit and ribbed knit dresses reference Queen Guinevere’s soft armour. Some have tiered pleats with contrasting coloured tips while others are juxtaposed with knitted panels of gold metallic yarns as fine as angel hair.
Silk dresses engineered and printed in cross-stitch squares with lace borders and a richly worked jacquard with panels of medieval flowers and decorative damasks, defined by red feather stitching, explores the idea of piece and patched work.
A final sequence of silk tulle evening dresses crafted in four different embroideries includes a bullion lattice pattern with satin-stitched medieval flora and fauna motifs within and a dove lace encrusted with scattered tiny beads and sequins. This is followed by an embroidery inspired by old alchemy illustrations, druid symbols and Cornish wildlife rendered in black and silver beads and glass stones, and finally, a ‘Tree-of-Life’ embellished with glass beads, micro bugle beads and stones. They are all finished with fringes and loose threads with feathers or a metal charm at the end, evoking the magic and mysticism of the treasures of a pagan Wishing Tree.
Music:
Transformation
Written and Performed by Max Richter
Published by Mute Song Limited
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon
