Sarah Burton triumphed in Paris in her fourth collection for Alexander McQueen.
The McQueen brand has been about blending the fantastic with elegance, taking fashion beyond its accepted boundaries without losing mainstream appeal. It’s meant to be a challenge to our expectations, and the autumn–winter 2012–13 collection was no exception, with Burton building on a vision of feathers and textures.
Starting with bright white peplum jackets and skirts—already a welcome contrast to the dark shades of Milano last week—Burton took us into a 2010s interpretation of futurism with her visor-wearing models. Then it was dresses in a variety of silks and leathers, brightly colourful in white, black, fuchsia and pink. Her pom-pom fur coats took the expected harshness of the futurist models and made the collection cheerful, as embroidered flowers and densely layered tulle dresses did the same.
Twenty-twelve is still Burton’s year, and stylistically it surpasses her work for the house that débuted last year. Sarah Burton may have got the Royal Wedding commission, but her work for McQueen this season raises her to another level altogether.
Paris Fashion Week, autumn–winter 2012–13: Giambattista Valli, Chloé, Pedro Lourenço
Paris Fashion Week, autumn–winter 2012–13: Collette Dinnigan, Akris, Anthony Vaccarello, Elie Saab