One day after its former creative director of 13 years Sarah Burton presented her debut collection for Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, now with Seán McGirr at the top of the creative food chain, held its F/W 25 runway show during Paris Fashion Week at the Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie. The Irish designer, who was hired for the role in October of 2023 after a stint at JW Anderson as its head of ready-to-wear, appears to be hitting his stride, debuting what HFTWT is calling his best collection yet. An even more elevated and developed continuation of his S/S 25 collection, this fall offering featured the same focus on tailoring, mixed in with a sense of extravagance, risk, and opulence that felt right for the house McQueen built.
It began dark, with a total of six black, trim suits and coats, all of which were fitted to perfection and sculpted in all the right places. Victorian ruffled sleeves and peek-a-boo black lace added to the drama of the otherwise understated separates, as did sharply pointed lace-up boots. Stars of the collection included silk-and-shearling toppers that were made to look like wings, striking collars from a long-ago age, and beautifully constructed corsets.
For more on McGirr’s F/W 25 collection for Alexander McQueen, keep scrolling.
The Return of the Skull Scarf
Arguably the most talked-about touch from this collection was McGirr’s re-issuing of the skull scarf, an icon of the Alexander McQueen universe that early aughts fashion people remember fondly and were understandably excited about seeing the return of. A red, large version of the skull-printed silk accessory debuted on the runway tied to a top-handle handbag worn by model Sara Caballero, styled alongside an oversized felt hat, ruffled blouse, midi skirt, and buckled ankle boots, all in black. It appeared one more time later in the show on a male model donning a leather jacket and gloves and slim-fit black trousers.
