Ahead of Seán McGirr‘s debut runway show for Alexander McQueen, the label released a selection of campaign images that encapsulate the brand’s heritage and McGirr’s fresh creative vision. In addition to the new campaign, the label unveiled a new logo featuring simple, yet elegant swirling lettering inspired by the original Lee Alexander McQueen‘s design.
Friends of the house Debra Shaw and Frankie Ryder are captured by photographer Tommy Malekoff in a gothic-inspired photo campaign set in ancient pine forests. The two are pictured wandering the woods in looks including a silver dress accented with spiderwebbed broken glass detailing, sleeveless mini dresses with flowing, asymmetric hemlines, and bold oversized suits. The youthful looks are accompanied by haunting yet simultaneously playful chrome skull masks, an Alexander McQueen signature.
McGirr was appointed creative director of the iconic London-based brand last October and has since been gearing up to launch his debut collection for Alexander McQueen. McGirr joined the label after working with Burberry, Dries van Noten as a womenswear designer, and most recently, JW Anderson as the head of menswear. Like both of his predecessors at Alexander McQueen, the Dublin-born designer studied fashion at the prestigious Central Saint Martins, where he honed his notoriously sharp eye, possessing an intuitive sense for fabrics and photography alike.
In a press release, the brand explains that “the story is captured in nature against the backdrop of an ancient pine forest, imbued with an ethereal Celtic ambiance,” which was inspired by the essence of the label as well as McGirr’s own background, demonstrating that a fusion of past heritage and contemporary influences are the key to the label’s future direction.
McGirr’s appointment has been especially buzzy, as the designer is the first creative director of the label who did not work with Alexander McQueen. Following Sarah Burton‘s departure after 13 years at the helm of the brand, announced suddenly last season, all eyes have been trained on McGirr, making the label’s March 2 runway show a highlight of Paris Fashion Week.
