How do you mark a return to the Paris Fashion Week calendar? Well, for starters, Alexander McQueen had supermodel Naomi Campbell open the show in a sleek, black corseted tailoring piece that showed off every nuance of her iconic runway walk.
For creative director Sarah Burton, the Alexander McQueen autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection was an opportunity to look into the anatomy of fashion, of the body, and of flowers. And then immediately subverting them—inside out; upside down—skewing the perception of what has been conditioned.
Tailoring was steely focused on cut and proportion, grounded by traditional suiting fabrics. Campbell’s look was but only a tease of how Burton took tailoring up a few notches. Strong shoulders were the binding threads that tied the suiting looks together with minor design tweaks adding that signature Alexander McQueen element of subversion.
Look closely at look 2 and you’d notice that the lapels on the double-breasted blazer were cut upside down. What appeared like a shawl collar at first glance, fully revealed itself as eyes trained downwards to where the notches had been repositioned. The idea was replicated albeit in a slight variation on look 5—a tailored bustier dress featuring an upside-down lapel that became its hem, giving the illusion of a dress that was inversely constructed.
What elevated a number of the tailored looks were heeled trousers. These were essentially heels merged with trousers such that there was no break at all, hence, elongating legs even further. And at the same time, they created such beautiful tension as they’re slightly stretched with every stride.
In more of the autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection’s heel-trouser moments, they became part of jumpsuit-like corset creations in denim and leather. And staying true to the collection’s upside-down treatment, the corsets were topped with denim and biker jacket elements that would’ve been part of hems of typical denim and biker jackets.
An Alexander McQueen collection wouldn’t exactly be complete without adding a certain element of flora and fauna in the mix. The orchid was chosen as the floral motif of the season as prints, intarsias as well as knit constructions. The latter was evident in look 37’s cable knit dress shaped with detailing that alludes to the silhouette of an orchid, as well as look 28’s bold red knit dress designed with protrusions that hugged curves.
The showstoppers, however, were the bugle beads creations that truly showcased the kind of craftsmanship and creativity the brand is founded on. Fashioned as though they’re metallic armour, these beaded creations captured light at every angle down the runway, especially in look 53 where the the orchid was embroidered into a dress complete with ravaging beaded tendrils.
There’s no doubt that drama and theatrics are part of the Alexander McQueen oeuvre. But with every Burton-directed collection, they’re incredibly wearable as well—even when they’re done in such quiet, curious ways.
View the full Alexander McQueen autumn/winter 2023 womenswear collection in the gallery below.
