ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Fall 2012

Sarah Burton

, you make us so proud. Thank you for consistently delivering "McQueen" worthy collections! Out of the darkness, beauty has been redefined and this stunning collection proves it. Burton has come into her own at the helm of the

Alexander McQueen

label while not compromising the brand's foundation or integrity. Through her use of ostrich feathers, goat hair and textile, her theatrical aesthetic and her intellectual property, there is a rebirth within the label. A new direction where light and "positivity" reign the future rather than pain. Burton presented a collection of blooming flowers to metaphorically state her case and did so, exquisitely. View Collection:

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An Electrifying Project Runway All Stars

The

Project Runway All Stars

lit up the runway, literally, in last week's exciting episode. The techno-chic challenge was All Star-worthy. The designers bypassed Mood and headed directly to a specialty lighting store for their supplies which consisted of LED lights and neon tape. THEN they headed over to Mood to look for fabrics that would work well under black light. Rapper/Singer

Pharrell Williams

was the guest judge for the evening. The winning design, which was clearly

his

choice regardless of the judges (professional) opinion, will be worn by one of Pharrell's artists.

Mondo

was safe. I know he could have done much better than this design even though the overall styling worked - obviously, one of his strengths. He always thinks of the entire look as any good designer should. I've been a Team Mondo member from his original season on PR and I continue to be... I'm eager to see what he brings to the next few episodes.

Ninja couture by

Michael Costello

. He was in the bottom two for this one but had enough fighting moves to stay in the competition. I liked Michael's look. It reminded me of

Alexander McQueen's

2005 chess board collection. The problem with Michael was that he was all over the place and could not decide on a design. His execution, specifically with the neon tape application, was slightly sloppy.

Maybe not so slightly!

I'll give him props for not draping.

Pharrell, I'm trying to respect your choice, after all,

you

know (not us) who'll be wearing the winning design, but you're a dick and you cost

Kenley

the win.

Real

fashion designers,

Isaac Mizrahi

and

Georgina Chapman

praised the design and gave expert reasons why Kenley's was the best. Georgina even pointed how successfully the balance of proportion and volume weighed out with this look. But it was clear, at the end, that the best design didn't qualify, it was only Pharrell's choice that mattered.

At the request of Georgina Chapman,

Jerell

raised the long, unflattering black skirt to expose the model's black-hosed legs. He possibly may have stayed in the competition if he had nixed the skirt. What a huge difference not having it made to the entire look. Too bad Jerell and goodbye.

Cry baby,

Austin Scarlett

won the challenge and could have also won an Academy Award for his "tearful" breakdown when Pharrell called him a "star." His high-tech, futuristic Marie Antoinette -esque design was good. I liked it. I just didn't love it.

The best part

: in the

After the Runway

segment, Isaac Mizrahi didn't hold back in telling Austin that Kenley should have won the challenge!

Pet peeve -side note:

Project Runway, Project Runway All Stars, Lifetime TV & Producers, EVERYONE knows that

Heidi Klum

coined the phrase: "As you know 

in fashion

, 

one day you

'

re in

. And the next day, you're out." Its hers, WE get it! Why must you force poor

Angela Lindvall

to preface it with "as you know" or "as its been said"... stop it!!

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Alexander McQueen 2011

[Live] wolves, Marie Antoinette's prison and dominatrix boots - all for the "Ice Queen and her Court," a.k.a. the Fall 2011 Alexander McQueen runway show.

Living up to the McQueen legacy couldn't have been easy for Sarah Burton, not for lack of experience because she certainly knows the brand intimately, but rather, for all the critical eyes focused on her. The Wall Street Journal and Style.com's Tim Blanks both pointed out that Burton possesses McQueen DNA, crediting the success of the collection. They even gave props to the Gucci Group for choosing Burton as creative director instead of entertaining "bigger" names.

The collection: mostly whites, some blacks, grays and the occasional pop of color. It was soft through its use of fur and shredded organza but subtly hard with s&m -ish harnesses that partnered with beautiful gowns. The "heritage silhouette" was a phrased coined to describe the voluminous gowns that were undeniably McQueen to its core.

I wonder what Kate Middleton's wedding dress will look like? British media reports that Sarah Burton will be designing the gown and McQueen officials deny the commission. Guess time will tell!

















fashionado

McQueen

Why I fell in love withAlexander McQueen:

In graduate school, I was labeled a frustrated designer by my thesis committee. My (art) work was so heavily influenced by fashion design that questions were raised if I had chosen the right career path.

I have fallen in love with fashion designers whose collections are visually dynamic, theatrical and over-the-top, living, breathing works of art. Alexander McQueen was one of "my boys" as I often referred to him in UrbanCouture. His work was shocking at times yet always beautiful. My students and I have looked to him for inspiration and motivation throughout the years.

Season after season, I've been blown away by McQueen's brilliance. There were no limits to his creative genius. He was a true artist who redefined the way we look at and think about fashion.

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