As soon as it was announced that McQ, Alexander McQueen's younger line, was staging a presentation at London Fashion Week, the excitement began to build. Known for their epic staging, McQueen shows are always a spectacle and since McQ was bought back in house the line has more closely echoed the main collection's motifs.
Words: Alexandra Fullerton, picture credit: Getty Images
On the fourth day of London Fashion Week, McQ closed an incredibly successful day where Christopher Kane, Burberry Prorsum and Erdem all showed. At 8pm, guests started to stream into a semi-derelict building in central London to find the catwalk floor scattered with leaves.
We watched as a rigorously tailored collection was presented in classic fashion. With a strict military influence, Black Watch tartan was teamed with velvet, overblown appliqué flowers covered tulle mini ball gowns while salt and pepper knits and shearlings ensured the collection was practical too.
Beautiful and covetable, yes, but what made this a true show was the appearance of Kristen McMenamy in a embroidered, white full-skirted ballgown. After the other models had filed out, the 47-year-old supermodel stood under a shower of falling leaves and a spotlight. She then fell to the floor, guiding herself to the back of the catwalk with a rope, which led to a neon lit bar in the middle of a glade of silver birch trees (previously hidden by a backdrop.) It sounds like a fairytale and it was.
Watching the scene unfold was magical. After tumultuous applause, guests were guided out of the space through the trees where Kristen was propping up the bar in the wood, happy to chat with the show-goers. We exited, dazed and delirious, onto the pavement, where we yet again marvelled at the sheer brilliance of British fashion.
