Love is in the air for Fall 2019, so much so that Valentino even created a book of love poems to give to the guests of their show, which aligned with the light, airy, dramatic, lovey-dovey atmosphere of their latest collection. Sarah Burton’s Fall 2019 collection for Alexander McQueen still brought us love, but in a much different way, by incorporating more intense elements, like hard metals, stark blacks and whites, and even a furious, passionate red that pulsed through the collection, creating a darkly-romantic vibe.
And while the fluffy silhouettes of some of the more flouncy dresses, as well as the repetition of rose imagery throughout prints and couture-esque, sculpted gowns where volumes of fabric gather to create the visage of a rose in bloom (one of my favorite pieces being the impeccably-tailored suit with silk sleeves that culminate in a gorgeous floral whirl at the shoulders) create the notion of a romantic love, this whole collection was really Sarah Burton’s love letter to the textile industry of the northern UK. While the audience sat atop bolts of fabric, they watched extremely English, exquisitely-tailored suits traipse down the runway, as well as other dresses inspired by everything from suffragettes and their prim, white attire, to the Victorian frills of the Bronte sisters. Everything in the collection served to lift up the culture of her home.
In true McQueen fashion, there was one dress that really served as an art piece more than a garment- a dazzling silver dress embellished with heddles, which are pieces from looms used to weave fabrics. As the dress moves and the heddles glimmer and clink together, the sound is meant to mimic the sound of the factory floor where the fabrics of England are manufactured. And if that isn’t the coolest fashion-related thing you’ve heard all day, then I don’t know how to help you.
To say the very least and most, Lee Alexander McQueen would be proud.
Check out my favorite looks from the collection below:
All photos from Vogue.com
