Welcome to Seán McGirr's McQueen Era
In February, Alexander McQueen teased its new era with newly-appointed creative director Seán McGirr. The preview featured skull masks, tartan prints, and McQueen muses Debra Shaw and Frankie Rayder, all house icons used to lay the groundwork for the "new McQueen."
McGirr's Alexander McQueen launched on a rainy Saturday in Paris during women's fashion week. Don't worry. The Fall/Winter 2024 presentation was held inside, specifically at a former food market called Olympiades.
Within the greyed walls and translucent tarp-y backdrop, Alexander McQueen FW24 delivered a big debut by McGirr (literally). Exaggerated proportions resulted in huge funnel necklines, massive fur coats, big-shouldered blazers, and hulking boots.
The emphasized details reminded me of Jonathan Anderson's Loewe and even the designer's eponymous brand, JW Anderson. McGirr previously headed JW Anderson's ready-to-wear, by the way.
A little spark and shine were courtesy of studs and a few heavily embellished ensembles. Elsewhere, you'd catch sleek leather and hints of fur textures in the collection.
There are a few references to Lee McQueen's earlier works. For instance, the opening latex-y dress nods to McQueen's 1995 collection inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. The sleek pieces also took me back Taylor Russell's show-stopping McQueen gown during one of her many backless style moments.
A few of the oversized sweater pieces echoed the sentiments of McQueen's FW99 "The Overlook" collection. Other pieces that wrapped up the hands — another McQueen signature — met shapely doll-like dresses, which closed the Alexander McQueen FW24 show.
McGirr's debut Fall/Winter 2024 collection comes just after the brand's emotional SS24 show, Sarah Burton's final collection as the house's creative director. In September 2023, Burton and Alexander McQueen parted ways after nearly 20 years together, 13 years she served as the house's creative director.
After working at JW Anderson, McGirr took on the big job at Alexander McQueen in October 2023. His resume also includes stints at Dries Van Noten and Burberry.
Now, McGirr's McQueen era has arrived.
