mcqueen's future

McQueen’s Revamped McQ Collection Will Be 25 Percent Cheaper Than Before

Alexander McQueen’s McQ diffusion line released its first collection since the McQueen company regained control of the label and decided to relaunch it. The five-year-old brand was previously licensed to Italian company SINV SpA, but now that their contract has expired, Alexander McQueen is free to expand McQ and proceed with new marketing plans. This includes making the clothing “more accessible” and “a little more edgy,” McQueen CEO Jonathan Akeroyd told WWD.

It also means making prices about 25 percent cheaper, ranging from about $95 for T-shirts to jackets for $405. The brand currently represents about 20 percent of the label’s business, but Akeroyd says it’s estimated to grow to 35 percent by 2012 under the relaunch. As for the new designs: Akeroyd’s vision of edgy accessibility includes things like high-necked trench coats, graffiti-print dresses, and McQueen’s famous bumster pants — although the new iteration is shown with a blazer covering the saggy waistband.

Sarah Burton, who was named creative director of McQueen last February, will oversee a new group of McQ designers headed by Pina Ferlisi, who has worked for Generra, Coach, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Gap. The brand is also launching an online marketing campaign complete with a fashion film depicting four models wearing the pre-fall styles and “talking about their lives.” This should be interesting, since having models speak in a fashion film, rather than flit around a deserted mansion or sun-dappled forest, is quite unusual. Even more exciting: McQ’s foray into online marketing will lay the groundwork for the company’s foray into e-commerce, which is said to happen next year.

McQ is All McQueen’s [WWD]

McQueen’s Revamped McQ Collection Will Be 25 Percent Cheaper Than Before