While the rest of the world were looking up at Sarah Burton’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection for Alexander McQueen London Skies, we were watching longtime friends of the brand and new found aficionados, who literally had their head in the clouds, gather for this monumental occasion.
In fact, this collection marks the first time the luxury label has presented in front of an audience since the pandemic and is the first time the UK born and bred brand has presented a womenswear line in London in over 20 years.
A carpark in East London played host to this historic event, with the rooftop converted into a giant bubble-esque cloud with the London skies on full view, a perfect fit for Burton’s nature inspired collection which urges people to “look up”.
“I am interested in immersing myself in the environment in which we live and work, in London, and in the elements as we experience them each day… I love the idea of the McQueen woman being a storm chaser”, Burton said in her show notes.
Between the supermodels, the (Mc)Queen Naomi Campbell closed the show and the seminal punk influence of Lee McQueen himself, London’s fashion scene was in full swing. McQueen has been a go-to for London’s high society, with even the Duchess of Cambridge a fan of Burton’s work, so it makes sense for the upper echelon of fashion to be in attendance.
The Mother of Dragons Emilia Clarke stunned in a bubblegum pink babydoll dress with a scooped neckline, pairing the ensemble back with a classic pair of black boots with a matching coloured sole.
Model Lara Stone blended in with the sky in a baby blue maxi dress with bone detailing and fashion royalty Daphne Guinness embodied McQueen’s edgy-glam with latex tights and a rock-and-roll bomber jacket with an extravagant animal collar.
Other stars who made an appearance include Eddie Redmayne, Katie Grand and Ezra Miller.
As for the collection, Burton succeeded in translating McQueen’s hyper rebellious ethos into sophisticated and refined garments for the modern woman. Whilst elements of McQueen’s reign remain, it’s Burton who is wearing the crown.
Long live McQueen!
