Alexander McQueen Creative Director Sarah Burton Leaves Luxury Brand
Earlier this week, on Monday, September 11, it was announced creative director Sarah Burton and luxury brand Alexander McQueen will be parting ways.
A #McQueenAW23 oversized trench coat in black and white skeletal orchid jacquard, paired with Slash Biker boots and a silver Orchid Earring.
— Alexander McQueen (@McQueen) September 13, 2023
Discover the collection: https://t.co/1nBSS8L8Ob pic.twitter.com/08HpNNyaZn
Burton began her accession into the role of creative director for Alexander McQueen in 1996 as an intern while studying at Central Saint Martins in London. Almost immediately, Burton and McQueen developed a bond like no other. “Burton, who was 21 and shy, found the creator of the bumsters unexpectedly warm,” writes Cathy Horyn from The Cut. She became his protege, and he was a mentor she aspired to learn from.
From the #McQueenAW23 collection, a black rib and ottoman knit anatomy dress.
— Alexander McQueen (@McQueen) September 11, 2023
Discover the collection: https://t.co/knCtwMz3Ri pic.twitter.com/EA83NSGZP4
The timid yet passionate Burton became McQueen’s first and only assistant the genius designer ever had. It wasn’t until four years later that McQueen appointed Burton Head of Design. Her role was to take the ingenuity McQueen created on the runway and make it sellable. Burton did precisely that. “Burton knew how to research and build a narrative. She shared Mcqueen’s love of nature and Britishness. And she knew how to drive a collection from early prototypes to the runway,” states Horyn.
"jack the ripper stalks his victims" by lee alexander mcqueen for central saint martins graduating show [1992] pic.twitter.com/VbHsBnqrHl
— ꪑꫀꪀᦔꫀꪶ (@gaultiercouture) September 21, 2019
In 2010, after Lee Alexander McQueen’s tragic passing, Burton became the new creative director for the label. Nearly a year later, Burton demonstrated what years of apprenticeship and her artistic endeavors could accomplish. She designed Kate Middleton, now Princess of Wales’s, wedding gown, keeping McQueen’s legacy alive while solidifying her new position within the brand.
Kate Middleton's wedding dress from every angle – all the photos https://t.co/guQzOTtfrn
— HELLO! (@hellomag) April 29, 2021
Horyn states, “Burton has built the business strongly around ready-to-wear, making high-end clothing that still embodies Lee’s distinctive silhouette — a sharp-shouldered suit, a romantic-looking belted dress, a leather biker jacket, new versions of the bumsters.” However, the brilliant successor longs for the days by McQueen’s side as they bring to life an entire show from scratch.
Introducing the new Seal Bag.#Yseult with the red #McQueenSeal bag in #McQueenAW23 by #DavidSims.
— Alexander McQueen (@McQueen) September 5, 2023
Discover the collection: https://t.co/9yHrAE4V3V pic.twitter.com/GiWPjUYA38
Kering, one of the world’s largest luxury groups and owner of the Alexander McQueen label, has something else in mind. While Burton longs to rekindle the avant-garde masterpieces from Lee McQueen’s time, Kering hopes to bring more market-friendly apparel and accessories. For more details about Sarah Burton’s departure from the brand, read Cathy Horyn’s article from The Cut and Sabina Weston’s article from Drapers. For more news about Alexander McQueen, view this article here.
