Alexander McQueen S/S 2021: Lockdown from the white cliffs of England

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Dec 7, 2020

There are worse places to shoot a fashion video, especially during lockdown, than the white cliffs of England.

 
And that’s the location for a bold video from the house of Alexander McQueen for its spring-summer 2021 menswear collection, a series of clothes largely made of stock fabric. Think rude-boy-meets-indie royalty.
 
The clip, shot at Newhaven in Sussex, and digital lookbook mark the latest online unveiling of an important collection from an influential runway brand in this year of the pandemic.
 
To her great credit, ever since she took over the reins of the house following the passing of the founder a decade ago, Sarah Burton has maintained Alexander McQueen as one of the dozen most influential bellwether fashion shows anywhere on the planet. In recent seasons, the brand has skipped the menswear catwalks and often shown by appointment to press and buyers in either an ex-factory showroom in the Navigli canal district of Milan or in a storied East London location.

 
This year due to lockdown, the house’s latest menswear ideas come to us digitally. But despite the virtual connection this collection is unquestionably one of the best in menswear this year.
 
Bursting with ideas from its tightly structured tailoring to its Escher-like combinations of different garments. Like a poly-faille flight jacket that morphs into gentleman’s 19th century frack; or the natty New Wave suits finished with giant micro-faille bow lapels; to the stunning tuxedo meets Blade Runner spy coat.
 
All the way to the vertically divided meetings of grey parka and city gent wool coat; or a classic trench coat encountering a deer stalker’s tweed coat. Respecting the founder’s Scottish roots, an Aran fisherman’s wool intarsia waistcoat connected to gent’s dressing gown.
 
Though the most spectacular elements were the over-dyed double-breasted suits in denim blue and rose in drip-dyed and squidgy board prints. Finished with jewelled brooch embellishments; posh bovver boots and embroidery inspired by the studio team’s notebooks, this was cultured rock star glamour to the max, and a truly fresh fashion statement from Britain’s most important living designer.