The Craftsmanship of Alexander McQueen

SPRING/SUMMER 2017 LOOK 44

This dress was one of the final looks in the Spring/Summer 2017 show. The collection was inspired by the Shetland Islands and the wild, mythical nature of their coastline. This black tulle dress depicts a shipwreck engulfed by the waves.

The ship itself was created using two and three millimetre beads, bugle beads, micro black glass beads, black hammered bullion and black metallic thread.

Around 500,000 sequins were then used to recreate the waves with facetted small silver glass beads outlining each one.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017, LOOK 42

This dress depicts an island scene with Shetland sea birds and coastal plants from cornflowers to lakeshore bulrushes, rock roses, cormorants and puffins. The dress has an almost etched effect which was achieved through a large number of materials and techniques: black bullion embroidery, metal thread embroidery, shiny micro ribbon work, round glass beads, faceted glass beads, sequins and bugle beads.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2016, LOOK 27

This black leather plonge dress has boning details within the upper body and an accentuated hip silhouette. The dress was part of the Autumn/Winter 2016 collection inspired by a surreal and ethereal night time world. Here intoxicating white flowers of tuberose,'Queen of the Night,' and jasmine, which bloom only after dark are painted onto leather entirely by hand in chiaroscuro shades of shadow and light.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2016, LOOK 27

This black leather plonge dress has boning details within the upper body and an accentuated hip silhouette. The dress was part of the Autumn/Winter 2016 collection inspired by a surreal and ethereal night time world. Here intoxicating white flowers of tuberose,'Queen of the Night,' and jasmine, which bloom only after dark are painted onto leather entirely by hand in chiaroscuro shades of shadow and light.

SPRING/SUMMER 2016, LOOK 28

This frock coat is based on an antique Victorian jacket, cut to elongate and accentuate an hourglass silhouette. The coat was reworked and modernised using Japanese denim, aged with a vintage wash and frayed edges which accentuate the form and cut of the split waist seaming.

The floral embroidery is based on ‘Spitalfields’ silk, created by the Huguenots who arrived in London as religious refugees in the late seventeenth century. They brought with them their skill in weaving and a love of naturalistic floral designs inspired by “The Line of Beauty” philosophy. The coat is embellished with hand-dyed sequins, multi-coloured glass beads and micro glass bugle beads over dyed jacquard patches. You will see three-dimensional beaded techniques, raised satin stitch, bullion, French knots and faceted glass beads.

SPRING/SUMMER 2016, LOOK 39

This dress was inspired by armour. The top is a lace patchwork using lace and guipure while the skirt is created with hand-stitched ostrich feather with wet-look effect. A hand-stitched panel of dyed goose feathers has been inserted between the top and the skirt.

SPRING/SUMMER 2016, LOOK 39

This dress was inspired by armour. The top is a lace patchwork using lace and guipure while the skirt is created with hand-stitched ostrich feather with wet-look effect. A hand-stitched panel of dyed goose feathers has been inserted between the top and the skirt.

A detail of the 3-D floral dress shows satin stitch embroidery and 3-D fabric Shetland flowers; all of which were carefully collected and copied after the Alexander McQueen team visited the Scottish islands.

3-D hand-dyed fabric flowers.

Highly detailed machine knitted lace in a fine silk, constructed of fashioned panelling.

THE FINALE DRESS FROM THE SPRING/SUMMER 2017 SHOW
This hand-embroidered ivory dress was the final look in the Spring/Summer 2017 show. The wild and magical coastal landscapes of the Shetland Islands were the origin of this collection and this shredded tulle dress depicts a scene of crashing waves.

The waves are depicted using around 480,000 two to three millimetre sequins while facetted small silver glass beads give them their outline. Hanging beaded fringes are placed between this flat wave design and the three-dimensional ruffles which capture the movement of waves, creating a smooth transition between the two. Each beaded fringe is made up of silver glass faceted beads and long silver feather sequins giving the idea of sea spray.

The outline of the wave was created using two and three millimetre beads, bugle beads, glass beads and silver metallic thread. Hammered silver bullion recreates the splashes. Hanging beaded fringes were placed between the flat wave designs and silk tulle ruffles to create a smooth transition.

The ruffles are created using over sixty metres of embroidered silk tulle, designed to recreate the movement of the sea. These embroidered silk tulle ruffles are gathered and steamed to give a pleated effect and then distressed by-hand. A further forty-five metres of silk tulle were then added to the dress to complete the splash of a pounding wave.

Please zoom into explore every detail of the front of the beautiful finale dress, Look 45, from Alexander McQueen's Spring / Summer collection.