Rangoli fantasies

I'm almost speechless; I have another tab open with the Autumn/Winter collection of Alexander McQueen, on pause. If outrageous wishes were to come true, I would be working for this company; producing the most elaborately decorative body jewels and fashions {happily quaffing espressos to get me through my eighteen hour work days!} Alexander may be dead but his vision sears on.

This is a world of half fantasy, where feminine frills collide with Gothic armour. Listen to the words used to describe the collection; Sharp pressing, multiple folds, quintuple and dégradé pleats, soutache embroidery, triple bulleting, silk and metal thread embroideries, enamelled flowers and more.

This show was only seen by 150 invited guests; three showings with 50 people at each. Imagine receiving a golden ticket to this event?

If you have 5 minutes and 56 seconds to spare, sit back and enter the world of Alexander Mc Queen. Watch how the models glide in and out of the ornate, gilded rooms of the Opéra Comique.  The soundtrack is magical too.

And if you're a total fan, you might like to check out my other Alexander McQueen posts! Hot or not? What do you think?

Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 Collection

Alexander McQueen has long been a source of inspiration for me - someone who combines artistry with technical genius, masculine and feminine, both minimal and over the top ornateness. I love a sense of magic and am drawn to the dream world that this design house evokes. Sadly Alexander is no longer with us but the new Creative Director Sarah Burton seems more than capable of carrying the company forward.

I hope you enjoy these two videos - the first is the catwalk show of the Spring 2012 collection and the second is an interview with Sarah about the inspiration behind the collection which is inspired by an underwater world. The show is memorising in many ways; the liquid golds, soft corals and black, the organic movement of the fabrics, the slightly Gothic yet ethereal lace masks. Waists are pulled in with chunky metallic belts in contrast with oceans of soft ruffles.



It's amazing to get an insight into both the workspace and creative process involved. Sarah describes the collection -

“I was thinking about a woman as an object of desire. We go to such lengths to adorn ourselves that we almost become our clothes or are taken over by them. This is a collection about excess – an exploration of ideals of beauty at their most extreme.”

In this short film by Dustin Lynn, The New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn meets Alexander McQueen Creative Director Sarah Burton at the label’s Paris atelier to explore the house’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

I hope you enjoyed the two videos! For more information on McQueen, visit the website. You might like to read my previous post too.

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen is a designer that I really admire. I love the sculptural style of his designs as well as his exquisite tailoring. His designs can be minimal or highly decorative and I love the quirkiness of his work.

This season, some of his collection is inspired by India and the image above shows a variation on the decorative hair jewellery worn by Indian women during wedding ceremonies.

See more at www.alexandermcqueen.com