Sean McGirr unveils debut at iconoclastic Alexander McQueen in Paris
PARIS — Within the shadowy expanse of an icy-cold industrial warehouse crisscrossed by disused iron tracks and uncooked concrete surfaces, friends huddled underneath blankets, buzzing with an air of electrical anticipation. This wasn’t simply any vogue present; it marked the primary web page of a brand new chapter for a home steeped in an iconoclastic historical past — the debut present Saturday evening of recent inventive director Sean McGirr.
Listed here are some highlights of fall-winter weekend ready-to-wear exhibits:
The stress was palpable for the beforehand unknown 35-year-old Dublin-born designer to unveil his id after 14 illustrious years of Sarah Burton. Burton, who parted methods final season, had woven her narrative into the model’s darkly romantic ethos after the tragic lack of its visionary founder – and created massive footwear to fill.
Tagged “Tough opulence” and intent on “unveiling the animal inside,” McGirr’s first foray resonated with the core tenets laid down by Alexander McQueen: a fusion of Gothic attract, a provocation, an ode to historic vogue, and the model’s hallmark of dramatic tailoring.
The present unfurled with a mannequin rising from the shadows in a sinisterly twisted black laminated costume that appeared to swallow her fingers entire — a putting picture of constriction reappeared all through the gathering. This binding theme was echoed in cords winding round slim-legged denims and strong boots morphing into horse hooves, trailing tails, and as ominous broad leather-based coats.
Nevertheless, the designs generally verged on the heavy-handed, with their pattered robes and hulking knitwear harking back to automobile tires.
The gathering nonetheless sparkled with promising moments of audacity, however appeared to have prioritized a play-it-safe method to the debut over the chance of a misstep.
Amid the gathering’s somber reflections, a shocking undercurrent of pleasure and whimsy surfaced, most notably by means of the stirring melody of fellow nationwide Enya’s “Sail Away” filling the air. It infused the area with a buoyant optimism subtly echoed in McGirr’s creations.
