Remember the Alexander McQueen Skull Scarf?

When they came on the scene in 2003, Alexander McQueen’s skull scarves were more than an accessory, they were a status symbol. Like Balenciaga’s motorcycle bags or Tom Ford’s oversized sunglasses, they crystallized that bohemian bent (see: Nicole Richie, Rachel Zoe, Sienna Miller) that was so, so popular in the early 2000s. Beyond this, they also served as a popular and easily-recognizable reminder of McQueen’s powerful influence over Y2K fashion.

Peter Kramer

Jamie McCarthy

The scarf was first introduced to the designer’s namesake house in McQueen’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection ten years after McQueen’s debut. Skulls were one of McQueen’s many motifs incorporated throughout his entire body of work. However, the earliest signs of McQueen utilizing patterns of bones and skulls in his 1992 graduate collection from Central Saint Martins dedicated to notorious serial killer Jack The Ripper. Skulls and bones were emblematic of McQueen’s gothic and morbid fashion spirit that the fashion world praised, it wasn’t long before the style began consuming pop culture.

Tim Walker

Alexander McQueen

Throughout the early aughts, the skull scarf was seen on nearly every A-lister imaginable. Offered in a range of colors and variations, celebs including Nicole Richie, Christina Aguilera, and Kim Kardashian were all seen with the scarf draped around their necks at one point or another on red carpets, at events, or even out running errands. There was no doubt that it was a staple accessory.

Pascal Le Segretain

Dimitrios Kambouris

Around the early 2010s, Y2K trends almost entirely faded from the fashion scene, taking the McQueen skull scarf with them and, for a while, it seemed as though they were gone for good. However, in recent months, these early 2000s styles have come roaring back to the fore with bohemian scarves being among them. So, with any luck, we might just see the skull scarf make a return to celeb street style looks in the near future.