Yesterday the final collection Alexander McQueen created before his February 11 suicide was presented in Paris. Only sixteen looks of the fall 2010 line, inspired by Old Master painters, were shown. Though rumors surfaced earlier this week about Gareth Pugh taking over design, the house hasn’t begun seriously thinking about McQueen’s successor. Reuters reports:
“We’ve been really focusing on this, on finishing the collection, we haven’t been thinking beyond that,” Chief Executive Jonathan Akeroyd told Reuters, visibly moved after the show in a discreet villa on a side street by the Seine.
“In the next few weeks, we are going to be working on the way ahead, but we’ve just really been concentrating on this presentation,” he said.
Reporters watched the show in silence as McQueen’s assistants “choked back tears.” Looks included McQueen’s signature prints, a red dress embroidered with thousands of rustling gold disks, and a gold coat with a high collar made entirely of feathers, worn over a white tulle skirt.
“It was all inspired and developed and all patterns were cut by Lee,” Akeroyd said, using McQueen’s given first name.
“It was well under way and the development was very much in final stages, so it was just about carrying on finishing the pieces … we had four weeks to finish his work, basically,” he said, describing the experience as intense and incredibly difficult.
Akeroyd added that McQueen had come up with a concept for one of his usually theatrical shows, but that “it didn’t feel right” to put it on after his passing. “We decided this was the best way to do it in a very low-profile environment — the most appropriate way in light of what has happened.” The clothes certainly speak for themselves. See the full collection in the slideshow.
Grief and hope at McQueen’s final show [Reuters]
