Alexander McQueen: After Lee

[mistress_f]

i think this was the only reasonable choice and im happy they chose to put her in charge. it obviously won't be the same but i approve of it

 

[Littleathquakes]

Good luck to her indeed. BIG shoes to fill.

 

[Petit Lucille]

we will have to wait to see what she's got to give, and hope her years beside him were nurishing.
thankfully it's her and not another designer that would do his take on it..

 

[Flashbang]

McQueen's First Lady
Ella Alexander [] 28 September 2010

SARAH BURTON will bring a new lightness to the McQueen legacy as she debuts her first womenswear solo collection for the label on October 5.

"I don't think it has to have as much angst in it. I think it will become softer," she says. "There will always be this McQueen spirit and essence. But, of course, I'm a woman so maybe more from a woman's point of view.

The designer, who acted as McQueen's right hand aide before being made creative director in May, says her new collection will not carry the label's signature darkness.

"There's always got to be some darkness, because otherwise you don't appreciate what's light," she tells WWD. "I've had a training in darkness, but I don't feel that it's necessarily a personal thing to me. I'm a bit lighter."

Burton also doesn't plan to compete with McQueen's trademark theatrical shows, which in the past featured skating rinks, robots and rings of fire.

"That was very much Lee's territory - the spectacular show," says Burton. "In that way, I can't try and pretend to be Lee."

Burton admits to feeling protective towards her former boss.

"He was such a lovely man, and his mind never switched off. He was so important to me. You just wanted to make him happy, look after him," she says. "Although I felt that I protected him, now I feel that he protected me."

vogue.co.uk

 

[mistress_f]

im sooo looking forward to sarah's collection. poor girl must be feeling the whole weight of the world on her shoulders.

 

[kathryn_163]

I was pretty anxious anyways but i can't help but think, what is McQueen without the darkness and theatricality?
She may pleasantly surprise but now im not so sure

 

[ilaughead]

^No judgments on Ms. Burton, but McQueen was all about darkness and theatricality, so this just cements my worries that the new McQueen label will be just a commercialized shadow of its past.

 

[Forwardmotionis]

wow im so disappointed in all that. i really hope she steps it up.

 

[Phuel]

Yay for Sarah for bringing the light!

If the Pre-Fall collection is any indication of what we can expect from her, then I am thrilled. That collection was precise, focused, tight, elegant, wearable, but still remained distinctively Alexander McQueen in its aesthetic.

There is no point in any attempt at controversy and theatrics now-- the visionary is gone. But from what I'm seen from Sarah, the spirit of McQueen remains strong with her as creative director. And I'm hoping in time, she will have the confidence to bring back the theatrics and even a darker side-- as an evolution of her designs for McQueen.

I hope the backers are compassionate and respectful enough to let Sarah evolve the label in her care, instead of wanting to slap "Alexander McQueen" on everything from scarves, to tees to jeans to make those quick profit margins.

I'm on her side-- as I'm sure the spirit of Lee is as well.

 

[mackos]

Well, it doesn't sounds that exciting so far, but I'll wait for the actual show with any judgements. I suppose it's not easy for Sarah either.

 

[Phuel]

One more thing: McQueen was the Visionary that celebrated both darkness and light, and behind the thickly-veiled theatrics, were designs so expertly-tailored-- as if with scalpel-sharp precision, that they were meant to be worn on all different body types, not just on models for runway and editorial.

To say that McQueen was all about darkness and theatrics, is such a disservice to his talent, skills and vision. He was an original that balanced the stunning beauty and raw barbarity of his craft so perfectly and so effortlessly.

Perhaps in time, Sarah will revisit the darker side of the label. But the lightless of McQueen is nothing new as it's always been there, right beside the darkness-- just like Sarah's always been there by McQueen's side.

 

[Squizree]

Lightness and brightness can be just as grand, but it's going to be interesting to see how Sarah is going to achieve that without theatrics. It's a key McQueen factor.

 

[holaloha]

No theatrics? Thats what everyone loves. I'll have to wait and see about her first collection...

 

[j´adore dior]

I think for her to do a theatric show would be pointless, as she said, that was Alexander´s point of view, watching an spectacular McQueen show without alexander at the end seems unrealistic and so far she has been able to capture the greatest part of his mind blowing shows, the clothes and distinctive style, her resort show was flawless and so true to McQueen.

I think she will deliver, as she said too, Alexander is protecting her now

 

[Spike413]

I'm not worried. Let's not forget that some of McQueen's most critically lauded and commercially viable collections in recent years haven't been dark, brooding affairs. Collections like S/S 03, S/S 04, F/W 06, S/S 07 and F/W 08 certainly hinted at his dark side, but I don't think any of them actually were dark or macabre, certainly not in the way his earlier work was.

As for the theatrics, I don't blame her for not wanting to go there. That was McQueen's calling card, and an area where few could compete with him. Who knows what she'll do once she finds her footing? As long as there is drama in the clothes I'll be satisfied, and judging from her resort outing that's something she can handle.

 

[whatkatjadid]

Sarah is doing the right thing. Trying to be something she's not will most likely result in a major disappointment for everyone. It's better to let her do something she believes in rather than demanding dark collections and theatrical shows. If she's not comfortable or happy with what she creates we'll probably see it in the end. As she said in the Vogue article, "I can't pretend to be Lee".

I'm very excited to see what she's done!

 

[ColorScreams]

^ I agree, but I don't see this succeeding.
Mcqueen is gone and his beautiful vision.
It's just another company now with a known name, though I applaud Sarah for saying that.
Mr. Lee was a genius, and you can't reproduce genius.
Writing this makes me so depressed that he's gone ugh.