Alexander McQueen S/S 2010

[genevieveryoko]

the thing is. he makes me not think or analyze or buy. simply gasp. and feel. and love.

Well said. This is exactly how I react to Comme des Garcons.

Is it fashion, or anti-fashion, performance art, conceptual fashion, clever tricks...whatever!!!!

There is some stunning stuff here, clearly. I do not love it though, but I like it.

[laika]

Laika,
the After Works collection was the greatest fashion moment, by any designer, at any time............I dont think we will ever see or experience something like that again. It was a story about minimalism at its absolute best and a seminal work on a lifestyle possibility that this whole green moment in society has yet to grasp. Beautiful object having a multiplicity of use, thus minimizing our need for an abundance of things........ it also speaks volumes about the discussion happening in the ''Fashion and prejudice" thread and thus the greatness of Chalayans work

Chalayan work speaks more to and about the things that I believe in as a Human person

Agree with everything you said, and especially the last bit....which is why Lee will never be at the top of my list. But of course I am glad he exists and does what he does....it's really just this ranking thing that i object to.

Faust, we will speak about this more in person.

[MoFiya]

I am pretty amazed, as well.
Have to admit, I am not that familiar with fashion history, so forgive me if something similar has been seen or said before.

What I see here is somewhat a collection loosening the barriers of what fashion is supposed to do: let someone look good in clothes.
What I feel when looking at those pictures is more like a feeling of harmony between human body and ... yeah - what's it - maybe nature?
In my oppinion these dresses do not underly any aesthetical principles, they do not emphasize any parts of the body or make the one wearing it look elegant or laid-back or whatever.

What I see here is woman and dresses becoming one - some clothes look like cocoons or something where women grow in it. It looks just so natural (someone mentioned the women look like aliens - I think this feeling is just because of that strange feeling we have seeing human being looking so different, yet natural in a strange way).

To me: this collection is not a style preview of the upcoming years but art. And I like it.

[droogist]

I haven't bothered with this thread as my views on McQueen are very much in alignment with laika's, and she seems to be holding down the fort very capably. I would like point out, however, that the critique that McQueen makes costume, as opposed to fashion, does not necessarily imply that what he makes is unwearable. I've noticed that a lot of the positive reactions posted in this thread include statements to the effect that "the girls look like x" - with x being aliens, or Titania, or video game sprites - but isn't this the very definition of costume? Garments to make someone look like someone or something else? I'd say a good proportion of the clothing in this show is in fact very wearable - they're mostly sexy little minidresses, after all - but that does nothing to change my belief that McQueen's essentially a costume designer at heart.

[genevieveryoko]

I'm not sure if they are misogynistic. I think perverse would be the more appropriate word. They certainly make me feel ill. Powerful costume effect.

[dolochov]

Laika,
the After Works collection was the greatest fashion moment, by any designer, at any time............I dont think we will ever see or experience something like that again.

Which one of Chalayan's collections is it?

[mass]

a/w 2000

[Faust]

Agree with everything you said, and especially the last bit....which is why Lee will never be at the top of my list. But of course I am glad he exists and does what he does....it's really just this ranking thing that i object to.

Faust, we will speak about this more in person.

I guess I should bring the sword then

Xerox, thank you for a mature response.

[Faust]

I'm not sure I understand what is misogynistic about the shoes?

They look uncomfortable to the point of foot deforming - obviously incapacitating walking in them. I am not a woman, but I would imagine that's what I'd think. Talk about something that will not be sold in stores, haha. Although, knowing McQueen, I wouldn't be surprised if they'll be produced.

[laika]

I haven't bothered with this thread as my views on McQueen are very much in alignment with laika's,

OMG, our chalayan jackets have activated!

[genevieveryoko]

They look uncomfortable to the point of foot deforming - obviously incapacitating walking in them. I am not a woman, but I would imagine that's what I'd think. Talk about something that will not be sold in stores, haha. Although, knowing McQueen, I wouldn't be surprised if they'll be produced.

If that is true then most women's shoes are misogynistic. How can you claim to know what is going on inside of the shoe? They could be cushioned with pillows. I do not think they are necessarily deforming, it is more a matter of circus abilities and the ability to walk on stilts.

[Faust]

If that is true then most women's shoes are misogynistic. How can you claim to know what is going on inside of the shoe? They could be cushioned with pillows. I do not think they are necessarily deforming, it is more a matter of circus abilities and the ability to walk on stilts.

I think that's true, actually.

I don't claim anything. I thought my post implied that I was taking a guess.

[genevieveryoko]

It did imply you were taking a guess. But more importantly you were trying to validate that they were misogynistic, and I don't think they are.

Much more likely to inspire misogyny: the red shoes with the bows!

[Servo2000]

I haven't bothered with this thread as my views on McQueen are very much in alignment with laika's, and she seems to be holding down the fort very capably. I would like point out, however, that the critique that McQueen makes costume, as opposed to fashion, does not necessarily imply that what he makes is unwearable. I've noticed that a lot of the positive reactions posted in this thread include statements to the effect that "the girls look like x" - with x being aliens, or Titania, or video game sprites - but isn't this the very definition of costume? Garments to make someone look like someone or something else? I'd say a good proportion of the clothing in this show is in fact very wearable - they're mostly sexy little minidresses, after all - but that does nothing to change my belief that McQueen's essentially a costume designer at heart.

Something I was talking to Laika about that she thought was relevant to this post:

it seems like at the heart of a lot of debates is this idea of 'costumes' or something being 'unwearable' and it gets broached a lot with Willhelm (always back to willhelm) which is what you seem to be getting at with McQueen in terms of outlandish aesthetics - on another level it strikes me that what he creates are, even if they're sold, basically 'the costumes of the rich' since in their cost and function they're barely even clothes anymore than they are one-time show off accessories.

It makes me wonder if the 'collections' need to be considered more like haute couture since his shows obviously don't show any of what sells to normal people, as well - which to me makes the gushing even more silly since I think there are people doing it better.

it seems like he's given so much credit because he's being considered in the wrong 'class' of designer, perhaps? sure he's going to look fantastic when he's showing along people who show what they're selling - innovative and artistic but saleable clothing.

In regards to the 'class' of designer point I'd continue saying that while I don't necessarily think we need to categorize everything or that everyone even falls squarely under certain headings obviously it does seem important when comparing designers (not necessarily just in terms of 'rating' but in many other elements) and understanding the criteria we use when discussing them.

[andrew]

I think i'd like to get my 2 cents in now that some of the dust has settled. Personally i think McQueen's stuff has been in some ways (and only some ways) comparable to Westwood: that is to say that they were breaking the mould in a big way once but have since slipped into a place where they are still doing creative things, be it strange cuts, great prints etc but nothing that is actually that different from what has come before. just a constant stream of monotony, albeit instantly recognisible as the designer. McQueen had in my eyes tried to correct this last season with a spectacle of a show, but one that was far too Galliano for my liking but this season he has blown me away.

What i like is that it is coherent to me; the animal skins in the prints and textures of the fabrics, the garment shapes are interesting but still very fluid and sit well together, and the shoes are admittedly unwearable but do continue the etheral fluidity as well. I'm not often moved by styling but even this is fantastic, the sculpted hair (look at the close ups on style.com, its nicer than it looks from afar) and even the subtlety of the make-up all mesh really well to my eyes.

For me a show isn't necessarily just a walking sales catalogue it is much more a marketing tool. People see this and the name is in their mind and then they pass by a shop and try a perfume or they look at his current collection which they may have passed by before. and when the SS stock is in store people remember such a striking show and if they want to have a part of it they can by a plain silk dress with a hint of the print in the middle or a pair of (normal) heels in snakeskin.

For me this is probably the collection of the season, (which is hard for me to say as i really dislike him) it is nice to see prints that go a little deeper than an image mirrored horizontally and then vertically but instead has been turned into a kaleidescope effect, some of which appear to have 10 lines of symmetry rather than the more obvious 8.
The cutting is also very nice, as a patterncutter it annoys me to see someone with for example a more boxy sleeve shape and to hear people say he's a genius pattern cutter. These patterns are not groundbreakingly complex but they do result in some great shapes that all flow through the shape of the collection and it is nice to see the print being considered completely in the pattern. There are precious few people who i think are utilising print placement at all, let alone well.

All in all i think this collection is mesmerising.