Alexander McQueen Spring Summer 2023
For Sarah Burton, Creative Director at Alexander McQueen, the inherent isolating times during Covid’s nasty reign tugged away humanity’s compassion. Burton’s ongoing rebirth continued this season with the designer stating “It’s about seeing things again, seeing each other, seeing humanity, caring about each other, not just walking around with heads down.” While that is admirable and truly a positive step forward the designer’s collection for spring/summer is anything by vulnerable and of an open heart. Deconstructed gowns and detached ribbon dresses, the couture of survivalists, were shown with jagged asymmetrical skirts, motorcycle jackets, squared shoulders, and wide leather belts that slashed the airspace with a dominant drama. Catsuits, like the revealing dresses, register such a conviction of empowerment, making it clear that calling them sexy could trigger dire consequences.
So much so that an oversized eye, painted on some of the pieces, glares back cautiously at the audience in the show. The eye, “is a symbol of that humanity, a register of emotion, an expression of uniqueness,” said Burton. The Mad Max’s” apocalyptic survival gear, – iron-clad, sculpted, dissected, mesh paneled, and powerful in its presence is the way Burton intends for us to see each other. Alexander McQueen.
