You are browsing the Blog for alexander mcqueen.

← Previous Entries

in the news: how sarah burton kept the royal wedding dress a secret

April 3, 2012 in fashion

A year ago, the best kept secret in fashion was the name of the royal wedding dress designer. Everyone had their suspicions but nobody knew for sure.

On the big day, Kate Middleton stepped out of the car to reveal that after months of speculation, the designer was indeed Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

Some details on how the secret stayed secret have come to light courtesy of Vogue’s International Editor at Large, Hamish Bowles.

Apparently Burton, being the sneaky squirrel she is, decided that the best way to hide the production of the wedding dress was to design an entire collection of bridal-esque gowns i.e. McQueen’s Fall/Winter 2011 collection. By doing so, she could order countless metres of white fabric and lace without raising suspicion.

Burton also was able to look Anna Wintour in the eye and say “I am not designing the dress.” That meant Anna was going around telling everyone that Burton wasn’t the designer. And if Anna’s saying it, it must be true, right?

Perhaps MI6 should pay Burton a recruiting visit – she seems to be just as well suited to being a spy as a designer!

Tags: , , , , , ,
No Comments »

what’s on: the duchess’ wedding dress exhibit

August 8, 2011 in fashion

I’m back in the real world after a lovely summer break and I have so much to share with you.

Let’s get back into the swing of things by talking about the exhibit of the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, which is currently open as part of the State Rooms tour of Buckingham Palace.

I know I’ve been a vocal fan of the Sarah Burton-designed Alexander McQueen dress since the moment Kate Middleton stepped out of the car at Westminster Abbey, but the craftmanship on the dress needs to be seen in-person to be believed.

For starters, the lace work is incredible. Four different laces (some up to 50 years old) were sewn together to create one unique lace pattern for the dress – but you would never know because the 2mm stitches joining them together are impossible to see.

Visitors also get the opportunity to see the Duchess’ wedding accessories up close, including her veil, shoes, jewellery and Halo tiara. The wedding cake and a replica of the wedding bouquet are also included in the exhibit.

The Queen was quoted as saying the display itself was “horrible” and “horrid” due to the lack of a head on the mannequin and I’m inclined to agree the display itself looks a little eery. I don’t have any photos of my own due to the Palace’s strict anti-photography policy, but you can see the Queen and the Duchess checking out the exhibit above.

If you’re planning to be in London before 3 October, I strongly recommend you take the time to do the tour. The dress itself well worth the entry fee of £17.50 but you also get a peek behind the walls of the palace to see the Queen’s beautiful entertaining areas. Tickets are available through the Royal Collection (and don’t forget to convert your single-entry ticket to a one-year ticket by getting it stamped at the desk in the gardens – that way you can go for free next year!)

If you can’t make it, you can check out the Royal Collection’s microsite for a zoom-in view of the dress and accessories.

PS Another royal wedding – that of the Queen’s granddaughter, Zara Phillips – took place last weekend. While the bride and her footballer husband looked very happy, I wasn’t particularly enamoured with her Stewart Pavin dress. She’s such a beautiful girl but I thought her dress didn’t really do anything for her. What did you think?

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
3 Comments »

in the news: see the royal wedding dress

June 7, 2011 in fashion

Buckingham Palace is sure to be more popular than ever during this summer’s opening, as it has just been announced that the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress will be on public display.

It will be the first chance we really have to see the detailed hand embroidery on the Sarah Burton-designed Alexander McQueen dress (remember, the needleworkers had to wash their hands every 30 minutes to keep the dress pristine white) and also to check out the McQueen shoes that were hidden under the gown. The Duchess’ veil, tiara and earrings will also be included in the display.

Interestingly, Buckingham Palace says the Duke and Duchess’s multi-tiered wedding cake will be also shown in the State Dining Room during the summer opening. This leads to the question… does that mean nobody got to eat the cake at the wedding?

The Royal Wedding displays and State Rooms at Buckingham Palace will be open from 23 July until 3 October 2011. Tickets cost £17.50 and can be bought online from The Royal Collection website.

Tags: , , , ,
No Comments »

friday film: a tour of the met’s mcqueen exhibit

May 6, 2011 in fashion

Let’s stick with the week’s theme of McQueen for today’s Friday film.

As mentioned in Tuesday’s round-up of the best dressed stars at the Met’s Costume Institute Gala, the museum’s new exhibit, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, opened this week.

The exhibit features around 100 of McQueen’s designs – including pieces from his posthumous A/W 2010 collection – and will run until 31 July 2011.

Unfortunately not all of us will be able to make it to New York to see it in person, so here’s a tour courtesy of New York Magazine to let us see what it’s all about. Enjoy!

Update: Some of McQueen’s dresses weren’t able to travel to New York for the exhibit so they’re being shown in the windows of Harvey Nichols in London instead – so if you’re on my side of the pond, make sure you check them out before the end of the month. Read more at The Telegraph.

Tags: , , , ,
2 Comments »

best dressed at the met costume institute gala

May 3, 2011 in fashion

It’s been a big few days for the Alexander McQueen camp – there was that little wedding on Friday and then last night, it was the Met Costume Institute Gala, which coincides with the opening of the institute’s McQueen tribute, Savage Beauty.

The event is curated by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, which I think encourages the stars turn out in their finest fashion-forward frocks. Let’s run through the biggest trends.

Black: It’s a trend we’ve seen slipping off the red carpet lately but amongst the fashion pack, I’m not surprised it remains. The LBD was particularly popular, chosen by Gossip Girls Jessica Szhor (in TopShop Unique) and Leighton Meester (in Louis Vuitton) as well as Milla Jovovich (in Marni) and Mia Wasikowska (in Thakoon).

White: There were little white gowns – like Chanel Iman’s gorgeous lace Dolce and Gabanna – and long white gowns – like Emma Roberts‘ modern Michael Kors dress. And let’s not forget this is the trend that Sarah Burton chose to follow herself!

Nude: Twilight star Ashley Greene looked gorgeous in her flowing Donna Karen gown while Dakota Fanning’s flower embellished Valentino was perfect for spring. Taylor Swift added a bit of vampy black lace to her nude J. Mendel gown and Naomi Watts was a vision in sheer Stella McCartney. Maggie Q was also a standout in her ruffled Tadashi Shoj.

Metallics: Anna Wintour led off with this trend in a pastel and black sequined Chanel haute couture gown. Gwyneth rocked a sequined column Stella McCartney gown and SJP paid tribute to McQueen in a gorgeous full beaded frock, while mothers-to-be Jessica Alba (in Ralph Lauren) and Kate Hudson (in Stella McCartney) both rocked strapless, champagne gowns.

I was a big fan of Dianna Agron’s red column by Michael Kors but I think Diane Kruger’s Jason Wu number (pictured) was top pick for me – it wasn’t McQueen it combined almost all of the big trends of the night into one fierce number. Who do you think was best dressed at the Met?

Tags: , , , , ,
No Comments »

← Previous Entries