Alexander McQueen Fall 2008 Fashion Collection: Review

Alexander McQueen has been making waves on the fashion scene for many years. As a young child, he sewed clothing for his three younger sisters, and it seemed certain that he would pursue a career in fashion. After dropping out of school at age 16, he began an apprenticeship on London's famed Savile Row. While there, he worked with clients such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Prince Charles, all before the age of 20. After finally getting his master's degree in fashion, he had some trouble making ends meet, because of his difficult nature. Once, after taking over at Givenchy, he insulted the founder of the fashion house, and said he felt stifled there. Eventually, under his own label, he was able to express himself in the creative manner he chose, and it gave him the opportunity to excel.

Alexander McQueen's Fall 2008 collection shows why he has become one of the biggest named influences for young designers. He takes clothing which resembles the type of formal costumes that various heads of state might wear, and approaches them from a fashion standpoint. Some outfits include ermine, which is typically seen in capes worn by the Queen of England in highly formal functions, or red capes with ostrich shell purses. There are many black and white pieces, and several instances of red also. Many of the pieces use transparent materials, but they are layered so heavily that they become opaque. And there is juxtaposition between the thick, heavy pieces, and the thin, tight pieces in the collection. Here are some of the highlights from Alexander McQueen's Fall 2008 fashion collection.

One of the strongest pieces has a sort of Russian czarina appearance. This piece features a fitted white bodice, and a full tulle skirt. On top, there is a red satin, ruffled shrug, where the fabric has been folded and manipulated to achieve its shape. On the bodice, there is some very intricate beadwork in red, which perfectly matches the shoes, the shrug, and a beaded headpiece which is worn by the model. This piece is perfectly balanced, with the shrug and skirt having a great deal of volume, but the bodice being very fitted and tight.

Another piece has an Asian inspiration, and seems to invoke the style of a sari. This deep red dress is a solid color, except for a band at the bustline, and an edge that drops down, then crosses the body in an X shape. This portion of the dress ends at the knees in a draped bubble, but a thin, transparent, white fabric continues down to the feet. It is a very graceful style, and the white fabric gently glides around the model's ankles, giving it a very feminine appearance. This is matched with a large beaded headpiece, and decorative red shoes. But the best, and most commercial, part of this dress comes from a shrug. This shrug is made from the same translucent white fabric at the bottom, but unlike the bottom, this is unlined. It is a very small piece, even by typical shrug standards. It extends far to the side, and covers only the shoulders with a thin white fabric. This gives the entire outfit a very lightweight appearance. Without this piece, it would be very easy for this piece to feel unbalanced, because it has such volume at the knees. But by adding this, it extends the upper edge of the design, and makes it feel much more evenly balanced.

One of the most unusual pieces features an off-white dress with a full skirt. The skirt has been made by layering so much white tulle, that it ceases being transparent. Over this, there is some exquisite black lace, which forms two peacocks facing each other. Ovals in the lace form their tail, which drapes down and contains some of the fullness of the skirt. It's a very artistic sort of piece, and it's easy to admire the intricacy of the lacework.

Despite some of his more controversial shows and behavior in the past, Alexander McQueen is extremely talented on the runway. He has a very strong point of view, and he knows exactly how he wants to express it. When allowed to do so, he comes up with some very inventive ideas. In the case of his Fall 2008 show, this is shown in knowing exactly how to combine volume with a sleeker look, tradition with invention, and playing with opacity. Most designers would only tackle any one of these as the overall theme for their show, but McQueen is perfectly comfortable incorporating all of them at once.