Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton unveils celebration of female empowerment with otherworldly, unapologetically feminine showcase

Burton creates drama by exploring the contrasts between female strength and and sensuality
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Karen Dacre7 March 2017

Following a month of fashion shows during which exploring the role of women in contemporary society has become a prerequisite for designers, Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton looked back into the history books to find the heroines for her latest show - staged in Paris last night.

Citing the Lady of Shallot and Queen Guinevere as feminist icons of their age, Burton unveiled her own celebration of female empowerment with lattice woven knitted dresses, delicately embroidered jacquard and frothy feather trimmed gowns among the highlights in her latest autumn/winter showcase.

Backstage Burton spoke of paganism and a "woman's connection with the earth" and cited a trip to Cornwall, taken with her design team, as the starting point for this collection. Accordingly, a mythical rugged coastland populated by ethereal creatures sporting flowing manes and cashmere voile gowns served as visual food for those at Paris Fashion Week.

Like ghosts emerging from a shipwreck in order to dance around the "cloutie'' - or Cornish wishing trees - which inspired the collection, models took to a catwalk sporting leather armoury and shearling overcoats trimmed with heavy duty biker details.

AFP/Getty Images

Otherworldly, but also unapologetically feminine, the clothes had a gentleness to them as well as a strong sense of silhouette with thick harness belts accentuating the waistline throughout.

While Lee McQueen's approach to design was to shock and repulse his audiences with grotesque and disturbing visions, Burton creates drama by exploring the contrasts between female strength and and sensuality.

AFP/Getty Images

This was a theatrical repurposing of that contrast with a series of silk tulle evening dresses which closed the show among its most spellbinding inclusions.

In a style that has become typical of Burton’s McQueen, there was also a strong sense of craftsmanship on offer with the idea of women coming together to create something beautiful harnessed through the inclusion of boiled cashmere sweaters and jewellery inspired by trinkets found tied to wishing trees.

"In Cornwall, we looked at those trees and saw hopes and dreams and a deep connection with community and found a lot in common with the way we work in the studio" she said.

The result was a honest, heart felt collection that bypassed the mainstream fashion trends and a refreshingly emotional conclusion from a designer who has dedicated her professional life to safeguarding Lee McQueen’s legacy.

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