Burton's Final Bow
From intern to inspiration, Sarah Burton has gracefully maintained the identity of Alexander McQueen from her first day in 1996 to her closing show just yesterday. For 26 years, Burton has remained loyal to the brand of which she began as a young intern and eventually took the reins as creative director following the passing of McQueen himself in 2010. Just yesterday, Burton made her final walk following the completion of her concluding collection, making it safe to say that this is the end of an era for this British fashion house. Famously known for her popularity amongst intricate beading and sharp tailoring, the closing show highlighted her most favored elements and left both the audience and the world in awe.
Burton has famously carried out McQueen’s legacy while making the brand something of her own as well. Nonetheless, Burton’s goal as creative director had always been to maintain McQueen's vision for the brand. Empowering women with their natural beauty was the pivotal concept, embedding an emotional appeal at its roots. While the brand’s name has always been supportive of itself, the crucial event that truly put it on the map was the Royal Wedding of 2011.
Burton was hand-selected by the Duchess of Cambridge herself thanks to the mature and traditional elegance of the brand. Following a year of immense secrecy, the world was in awe of the sheer beauty and craftsmanship Burton’s team achieved, leaving no detail unfinished and no piece of fabric untouched. Following such a smashing success, Burton began churning out pieces for extraordinary events across the globe, draping one after another in her most delicate designs.
Now down to the detail of her work, not one inch of fabric will go untouched or without thought. The intense structure, thoughtful lines, and thorough beading that are commonly recognized across every collection, allow these pieces to be easily recognizable to those who have an eye for detail. For her McQueen finale, it was only right to highlight each of these categories, arguably producing one of the most successful shows in brand history. Kaia Gerber began the show with an intensely structured black dress with an emphasis on extended shoulders and exaggerated hips. The dress maintained the shape itself, with the wearer causing minimal movement to it throughout the runway. Every piece throughout the collection was primarily white, black, red, silver, or gold, creating a captivating line strongly correlated. Ranging from exaggerated fringe to bodycon lace, there was no limit to the creativity and discovery in this collection. Closing the show came Naomi Campbell studded in a dazzling corset and loosely structured skirt, certainly designed to emulate everything Burton adored in her work.
As the show came to a close, Sarah Burton stepped out to a standing ovation filled with some of fashion’s most influential members, including Anna Wintour herself. Her 26 years of dedication and the impact made on fashion’s history won’t ever be forgotten and her successor certainly has great shoes to fill. The McQueen name has Burton to thank in the continuation of the legend himself, with Burton to be remembered just as highly as he is. While this certainly is not the end of the McQueen franchise, it’s a moment to be marked in time as a very special chapter being closed.
