Background on Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen is a British fashion house, founded by the eponymous Alexander McQueen. McQueen, born in 1969, knew he wanted to be a fashion designer from a young age, and left school at age 16 to work as a tailor on Savile Row. After working and interning with various tailors, costumers, and designers in England and Italy, he pursued a masters degree in Fashion Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, graduating in 1992. His graduate collection attracted a great deal of media attention, and was entirely purchased by Isabella Blow, an English magazine editor and international style icon.
McQueen launched a womenswear line the same year, and was appointed as the Chief Designer of the Louis Vuitton-owned Givenchy line in 1996, where he stayed until 2001. By the mid-2000s, Alexander McQueen was known for both his beautiful clothes and for his personal life, earning the nickname "L'Enfant Terrible." He launched a menswear line in 2004, a secondary line called McQ in 2006, and soon became a favourite of celebrity clotheshorses such as Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The Alexander McQueen look is one of juxtaposition. As the house's official website describes it, "integral to the McQueen culture is the juxtaposition between contrasting elements: fragility and strength, tradition and modernity, fluidity and severity." Dramatic, outrageous, and quintessentially British, Alexander McQueen is one of the most important fashion houses of the 21st century.
McQueen died in February 2010 at age 40, as the result of suicide.
Who is Sarah Burton?
Sarah Burton is the current creative director at Alexander McQueen. She took over the position in May 2010, following the death of McQueen earlier that year. Burton was educated at Central Saint Martins, graduating in 1997 with a degree in Print Fashion. She began working at Alexander McQueen as an intern in 1996, and, upon her graduation, returned full-time. She was appointed the head of womenswear in 2000, and worked closely with McQueen, her friend and mentor, until his death on 2010.
From the moment she was appointed creative director at Alexander McQueen, Burton was aware that she was inheriting an important legacy - and that all eyes would be watching her next step. With 16 years of experience at the fashion house, Burton reported that she intended to stay true to McQueen's vision and spirit.
Although she has shied away from McQueen's notoriously theatrical shows, her first collection for the house, Spring/Summer 2011 (which debuted in September 2010), was met with great success. She retained McQueen's tradition of juxtapositon, but added her own feminine aesthetic.
Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress
After months of speculation, the well-kept secret came out on 29 April 2011: Kate's dress was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. It was a smart choice on Kate's behalf, as the fashion house is a British one, and also known as one that combines both the cutting-edge and the traditionally elegant. Much like Kate herself, the dress was simple, elegant, and classic. Of designing the dress, Burton said, "Alexander McQueen's designs are all about bringing contrasts together to create startling and beautiful clothes and I hope that by marrying traditional fabrics and lacework, with a modern structure and design we have created a beautiful dress for Catherine on her wedding day."
Sarah Buys, who married the Duchess of Cornwall's son, Tom Parker Bowles in 2005, wore a Sarah Burton-designed gown. Buys, through marriage, is now Kate' step-sister-in-law; Kate is said to have been very impressed by this gown.
The house repeatedly denied receiving the commission for the dress, which has drawn comparison's to Grace Kelly's dress circa 1956. Constructed of ivory silk, the dress features a V-neck, lace sleeves, and a two-metre train.
What Next?
Designing the wedding dress for Kate Middleton (now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) was no doubt the commission of a lifetime, and will mean great things for both Sarah Burton and Alexander McQueen. The Wall Street Journal reports that, not only will the dress impact current wedding fashions, but it has also cemented Sarah Burton as a major fashion player, and the house's position in the international fashion world.
After McQueen's death last year, fashion industry experts were concerned about the long-term survival of the brand: after all, it had only been in existence for less than two decades, and was highly tied to the character of McQueen himself. With an exhibit called "Savage Beauty," exploring the work of McQueen, opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 4 May 2011, Kate's decision was an extremely timely one. For the house, it means that it will be remembered as one of - if not the - most important houses of the 2010s, says Alistair O' Neill, a researcher at Central Saint Martins College.
Wedding dress industry experts also point towards the effect that the dress will have on bridal trends. While strapless dresses have reigned supreme in the last 10 years, royal wedding dresses are typically more conservative. Since Kate is so popular amongst young women in their 20s and 30s, fashion directors at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus both expect to see the dress reflected in their fashion choices.
Lastly, for Sarah Burton, this has launched her name into the general population, and has truly cemented her as someone capable of evoking the Alexander McQueen aesthetic and a quintessentially British wedding dress. Her next collection will no doubt have more eyes watching than ever before.
Sources
- "About Alexander McQueen", Alexander McQueen Fashion House, accessed 2 May 2011.
- "Alexander McQueen," Biography.com, accessed 2 May 2011.
- Cecile Rohwedder, " Kate's Wedding Dress a Coup for McQueen House ", The Wall Street Journal, 30 April 2011, accessed 2 May 2011.
- Ella Alexander, "McQueen's First Lady", British Vogue, 28 September 2010, accessed 2 May 2011.
- Fay Schlesinger, "Kate Middleton Wedding Designer: Alexander McQueen's Successor Sarah Burton?", The Daily Mail, 29 April 2011, accessed 1 May 2011.
- Helen Wigham, "Who's Who: Sarah Burton", British Vogue, 29 April 2011, accessed 1 May 2011.
- Lauren Milligan, "Who's Who: Alexander McQueen", British Vogue, 12 April 2010, accessed 2 May 2011.
- Sarah Deeks, "Burton for McQueen", British Vogue, 27 May 2010, accessed 2 May 2011.
Caroline Garrod - Caroline is currently working on her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History from Queen's University in Kingston, ON. An avid reader and ...
