Bespoke McQueen

Bespoke McQueen

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN is teaming up withSavile Row tailor Huntsman to launch a menswear made-to-measure service.

"We already offer couture for women, and wanted to add it for men," Sarah Burton toldWWD. "And our clients were asking for it. With this service we want to give them beautiful, handcrafted clothes, and emphasise artisanal work."

Available from June at the label's Bond Street store, customers can choose from a single-breasted dinner jacket; a black-and-white Prince of Wales check double-breasted trouser suit and a black cashmere double-breasted overcoat. Prices will start at £4,500 to £5,000.

YOU SHOULD SEE: The latest McQueen menswear collection...

YOU SHOULD SEE: All the menswear shows, just in...

Source: VOGUE - ELLA ALEXANDER

The next chapter of Lee McQ

After Lee

SARAH BURTON has revealed that, almost two years since the death of the "genius" Lee Alexander McQueen, she is glad she agreed to take over as his former label's creative director.

"He was such a genius; inspiring and funny and an incredible man," she said. "I could never pretend to be him but when I look back now, I'm glad that I took the job - because it kept the studio alive in his spirit, and it kept the team together. Because what did he work so hard for all those years if it was all just going to disappear?"

SEE MCQUEEN'S LIFE IN PICTURES

Burton spoke as McQueen launched its first store in Beijing in October, in a just-released film created in collaboration with Hong Kong store Joyce. The designer, who also made the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress this year, spoke about the creation of this season's most intricate dresses: the "broken plate" gowns - giving an idea of just what goes in to the famously couture-esque collection.

"We took a cast of a body and poured the porcelain so it fitted that body," Burton explained. "Then we hand-painted ten different plates, dissected them as if they were broken and then we engineered the image on to a bodice. Then we hand-cut all the pieces out from the mould we had and then we made each of those pieces again individually and numbered them. It was like a jigsaw puzzle!"

YOU SHOULD SEE: The collection's other porcelain creation here...

YOU SHOULD SEE: Catherine's latest McQueen look...

Source: VOGUE - LAUREN MILLIGAN 21 December 2011

The British Fashion Awards Winners

The BFA Winners

SARAH BURTON of Alexander McQueen won the prestigious Designer of the Year accolade at the2011 British Fashion Awards, which took place at London's Savoy Hotel this evening.

SEE ALL THE AWARD PICTURES

Victoria Beckham took home the Best Designer Brand prize, beating off competition from Tom Ford, Stella McCartney and Burberry, but that's not to say McCartney herself was left empty handed - her label received the Red Carpet Award.Stella Tennant was named Britain's Model of the Year.

In terms of new designer names, Mary Katrantzou was given the Emerging Talent Womenswear Ready-To-Wear honour, with Christopher Raeburn winning the category's menswear equivalent. Christopher Kane was announced as the winner of the Awards' debut New Establishment prize.

The full list of winners:

Designer of the Year: Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen

Designer Brand: Victoria Beckham

New Establishment Award: Christopher Kane

Menswear Designer: Kim Jones

Accessory Designer: Charlotte Olympia

Red Carpet Award: Stella McCartney

Emerging Talent Award - Ready-To-Wear: Mary Katrantzou

Emerging Talent Award - Menswear: Christopher Raeburn

Emerging Talent Award - Accessories: Tabitha Simmons

Model: Stella Tennant

BFC Outstanding Achievement: Paul Smith

Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Sam Gainsbury

British Style Award: Alexa Chung

YOU SHOULD SEE: All the red carpet pictures...

YOU SHOULD SEE: The full BFA nominee list...

YOU SHOULD SEE: What Paul Smith told us about his award...

Source: VOGUE - ELLA ALEXANDER 28 November 2011

McQ at London Fashion Week

The McQ Show

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN'S diffusion line McQ will show during London Fashion Week for the first time in February 2012.

The autumn/winter 2012-13 collection will act as a preview to the label's debut store opening - which will be unveiled next spring. The shop will be housed in a Georgian townhouse on Dover Street in London's 

Mayfair and will carry womenswear, menswear and accessories.

YOU SHOULD SEE:  McQ's American road trip...

YOU SHOULD SEE: Our tribute to McQueen in pictures...

Source: VOGUE - ELLA ALEXANDER 23 November 2011

McQ at London Fashion Week

BREAKING NEWS: For the first time since the brand was launched, McQ will present the autumn/winter 2012/2013 collection with a catwalk show at London Fashion Week in February 2012.

The show will form a preview to the the opening of a McQ store in London in Spring 2012: A Georgian townhouse located at 14 Dover Street, London W1S 4LW with 4 storeys and 273 square metres of retail space, McQ’s first flagship store will be designed by Pod and will offer womenswear, menswear as well as accessories from the collection.

The main line Alexander McQueen collection will continue to show at Paris Fashion Week.

Read full press release

British Ballgowns

Alexander McQueen

British Ballgowns

NEXT summer, the Victoria & Albert Museumwill play host to more than 60 dresses worn and designed by fashion's most famous faces. The exhibition is set to include designs dating back as early as the Fifties.

Ballgowns and debutante dresses seen on Voguecover girls such as Diana, Princess of Wales, Bianca Jagger, Elizabeth Hurley and Sandra Bullock - previously worn at events such as the British Fashion Awards, Golden Globes and various film premieres - will feature.

John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Dame Vivienne Westwood are also all in the line up to have works showcased, alongside Norman Hartnell who made gowns for the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth.

Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950, sponsored by Coutts, will be on display from 19 May 2012 to 6 January 2013 with an admission fee of £10.

YOU SHOULD SEE: Diana's style evolution...

YOU SHOULD SEE: The best dresses on the spring/summer catwalks...

SOURCE: VOGUE - HATTIE WEST 17 November 2011

October 19 - ON this day in history...

October 19

ON this day in history...

...2001, Alexander McQueen revealed he had a strange crush - on Michael Portillo. "It was really exciting to meet Michael," said McQueen. "If I'd been allowed to vote I'd have got him in. I've always fancied him."

...2004, the unexpected friendship between Kate Moss and Sarah Ferguson was explained. Both Moss and Ferguson were set to appear naked but for a pair of Jimmy Choos and some Cartier jewels in a book to raise money for Elton John's AIDS Foundation. Ferguson was photographed with her modesty covered by a silk sheet while Moss was completely bare with a cigar hanging from her lips in the book entitled 4 Inches.

...2004, Tom Ford admitted that his time at Gucci was not all sober sailing. "Five o'clock every day, man, it was cocktail hour," he said. "And those cocktail trays came out, trays of vodka tonics, and the whole staff would keep drinking till like 9. I drank through the whole thing. Maybe I was a bad boss. I think I was a good boss."

Source: VOGUE - BIBBY SOWRAY 19 October 2011