Sarah Burton’s First Show for McQueen Full of Feathers and Wheat Sheaths

The most significant show of the entire spring 2011 season is arguably Alexander McQueen’s, which walked today in Paris. This is the first major runway show for the house since the designer took his own life in February, and his right-hand woman Sarah Burton stepped up to the creative director title. Burton assured the press she wouldn’t present a show with McQueen’s signature theatrics, which isn’t her thing, but she still kept things plenty interesting, sending models down a runway consisting of wooden planks with grass poking through. The nature-inspired show opened with an all white look including pants and a multilayered frock coat. Mini dresses followed, and then out came the major dresses with giant full skirts made of what looked like fake hair. Show Studio tweets the dresses were made of pheasant feathers and golden wheat sheaths. The models’ real hair, on the other hand, resembled basket weaving. The shoes were no Armadillos, but they retained McQueen’s signature intricacy. Some came with butterflies, and others with what looks like plant fringe. Reactions are still trickling onto the Internet, but Style.com calls Burton “a very worthy successor.” Show Studio found it “stunning.”

Sarah Burton’s First Show for McQueen Full of Feathers and Wheat Sheaths