For a brand that has such an extensive archival collection and had one of, if not the biggest influence on the fashion industry in the last 50 years, it’s amazing to think that before Sean McGirr took on the creative director role at the end of 2023, Alexander McQueen had only two previous directors, one, of course, being Lee himself. Not many brands can make such a huge impact in such a short space of time.

Although the brand was formed 32 years ago, Alexander McQueen has changed the course of the fashion industry, punching us all in the face with insane and wacky shows. After Lee’s death, Sarah Burton was appointed creative lead after being Lee’s intern for many years. Under her supervision, the brand became slightly more subdued but continued to send stunningly beautiful creations down the runway.

For me, McQueen is my favourite designer of all time, just ahead of Jonathan Anderson. What Lee did was never seen before and I feel it hasn’t and probably won’t ever be truly replicated. Since Sarah took over at the brand, I felt a lot of the collections were nods to Lee’s work in a more wearable, digestible sense. I’ve always missed the ‘slap across the face fashion’ Lee offered. That feeling you get after watching an original McQueen show is like no other. It’s like being kicked and punched at the same time but in a perfectly euphoric way. Somehow you wanted more because there were never enough looks, you’re left feeling greedy and gasping for air. Every look was jaw-dropping.

With Sean at the head of the brand, what does the future look like at McQueen? With an extensive background in fashion including a master’s from Central Saint Martins (the same fashion school Lee attended) and a role at JW Anderson as the head of ‘ready to wear’, it is no wonder Sean was picked for the role. Debut shows tend to be a look back at archival pieces from the house. The new lead is finding their footing and the easiest way to create a collection that works for the house, is to copy looks that have previously walked the runway. It’s a safe option but it gives the new lead time to work towards their second show, which is usually more well-rounded and has a sense of their personality running through it.

This show did all of that. Yes, it was slightly safe in the sense that a lot of the looks were reminiscent of archive looks. However, I saw Sean in there and more pleasingly, I saw Jonathan in there too. Sean’s work at JW Anderson seemed to have made a real impression on him, as I noticed a few of the looks (looks 25 and 42 below) could have been on the runway at Loewe which is also headed by Jonathan. It goes without saying that Lee was in there and Sean noted in an interview with Vogue that he was most inspired by Lee’s show ‘The Birds’ from SS95.

So let’s break the show down a little; the location itself reminded me greatly of Lee’s first shows, straight out of CSM. Lee’s shows were often set in underground London or dingy warehouses. This show replicated that at Paris’ Olympiades Market, a concrete space that was laden with tracks along the floor and billowing panels of parachute material. It felt similar to Lee’s show ‘It’s a Jungle out there’ FW97, where famously a car set alight! The show itself was simple, in that models walked down a straight runway. I saw some comments on how this could have been a lot more spectacular, however, Lee’s first few shows were simple like this too, shocking in the looks themselves but simple in staging. I feel Sean wanted his first show to reflect Lee’s first shows in this way. Let the clothing speak for itself, performance can come later.

Many of Sean’s looks focused on tailoring, a nod to Lee’s background in working on Saville Row. Some looks were complete re-imaginings of Lee’s looks such as the opening look being a more wearable version of the famous cellophane dress from SS95.

The final dresses were rigid moulds that were awkward for the models to walk in, these looks reflected silhouettes from ‘It’s Only a Game’ SS05 and also reminded me of recent Loewe looks, again using Sean’s inspiration from his work at JW Anderson.  

Look 23 was noticeably like the large feathered cocoons worn by models in ‘The Horn of Plenty’ AW09.    

As I previously mentioned, debut shows tend to be reimagining of archival shows and this was no different. But it’s important to give credit where credit is due and this show has grown on me the more I’ve researched it. It feels gritty, dirty and more like Lee’s original vision.

Early Lee is back and through Sean’s concept for McQueen, I think sex, scandal and romance are once again on the cards for McQueen as a brand. This is what I’ve felt has been missing since Lee’s death. We’ve been offered exquisite clothing, now we just need that performance and showmanship we all crave from the McQueen house.