Alexander McQueen Spring 2001

I haven’t done a retrospective entry in a while. I think the Hussein Chalayan one back in January was the last one… and before that I’d been steadily posting one older collection per month. So, time to get back on track, and what better to bring it back with some of Alexander McQueen’s early days in the spotlight?

My level of long-term fangirl-ism for McQueen is up there with my chronic cases of adoration for others, such as Yohji, Miyake, etc. But what sets McQueen apart to the special place in my heart all his own is, without a doubt, his earlier runway presentations and conceptual collections. The sheer panic I felt when he started releasing toned down, princess-y collections with standard presentations… as well as the joy I felt for F/W 09.10, are both direct results of just knowing the sheer power of McQueen’s creative drive. He’s always done things so much differently than others, and as you can see in the visuals accompanying this post – he’s had such an obvious impact on many designs we’re seeing today, from the new breed, so to speak.

I used to worry that if he didn’t return to his initial allure somehow or at least bring it back and incorporate it with the McQueen we’ve come to know today, that his early days would eventually be lost like a footprint after new snowfall… and that would be a tragic thing.

There are a ton of collections from about 10 years ago, give or take, which can show the magical essence of McQueen but there’s one that came to mind as most imperative: Spring 2001.

The presentation is everything McQueen encompasses; it’s dramatic, beautiful, a bit frightening, expressive and really embodies the lovely contradiction of severe fragility, which he’s always done so well. Everything from the psuedo-psych ward setting to the theatrics of the models, is completely awe-inspiring.

Enough about the presentation, because frankly, it speaks for itself. The clothing has to be mentioned as well. Looking at old McQueen collections, I find a lot of stimulation; they’re impressive, so far ahead of their time, so distinct. Also amusing a bit, as you can make sort of a game out of naming off the dresses which newer and more unoriginal designers have since ripped off. :p

The styling is another special element… the hospital headbands juxtaposed with the delicate and elegant dresses mimic the overall theme of a demented, tortured beauty. I love when designers create an entire concept – an entire world – around a collection… and of this, McQueen is undeniably one of the masters.

If you loved this and hadn’t seen it before, go ahead and check the rest of McQueen’s work from the late 1990’s until about Spring 2007. So inspiring.