From Victorian Collars to Aughts Skull Scarves: 5 Takeaways From Alexander McQueen's F/W 25 Show

One day after its former creative director of 13 years Sarah Burton presented her debut collection for Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, now with Seán McGirr at the top of the creative food chain, held its F/W 25 runway show during Paris Fashion Week at the Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie. The Irish designer, who was hired for the role in October of 2023 after a stint at JW Anderson as its head of ready-to-wear, appears to be hitting his stride, debuting what HFTWT is calling his best collection yet. An even more elevated and developed continuation of his S/S 25 collection, this fall offering featured the same focus on tailoring, mixed in with a sense of extravagance, risk, and opulence that felt right for the house McQueen built.

It began dark, with a total of six black, trim suits and coats, all of which were fitted to perfection and sculpted in all the right places. Victorian ruffled sleeves and peek-a-boo black lace added to the drama of the otherwise understated separates, as did sharply pointed lace-up boots. Stars of the collection included silk-and-shearling toppers that were made to look like wings, striking collars from a long-ago age, and beautifully constructed corsets.

For more on McGirr's F/W 25 collection for Alexander McQueen, keep scrolling.

The Return of the Skull Scarf

Arguably the most talked-about touch from this collection was McGirr's re-issuing of the skull scarf, an icon of the Alexander McQueen universe that early aughts fashion people remember fondly and were understandably excited about seeing the return of. A red, large version of the skull-printed silk accessory debuted on the runway tied to a top-handle handbag worn by model Sara Caballero, styled alongside an oversized felt hat, ruffled blouse, midi skirt, and buckled ankle boots, all in black. It appeared one more time later in the show on a male model donning a leather jacket and gloves and slim-fit black trousers.

Dandyism at Play

“To me, dandyism is the ultimate act of adornment; deeply personal, playful, and transgressive," McGirr wrote in a press release. "It raises questions of character and identity, idealism, and gender. I wanted to explore the enduring relevance of the dandy’s radical spirit in our modern world.” According to the release, McGirr's initial inspiration for F/W 25 came from Victorian dandies, like Oscar Wilde, Vesta Tilley, and Romaine Brooks, as well as the Charles Dickens book Night Walks, in which a character in London strolls the streets at night. “It kind of got me thinking about this idea of a flaneur, someone who is very self-assured and knows themselves really, really well, which for me is a strength of McQueen," McGirr told Vogue. These starting points eventually led to the exquisite wool tailoring found throughout the collection, as well as the more intimate and opulent touches like sheer lace and fluid silks that feel simultaneously modern and reminiscent of another time.

Dark vs. Light

"London, by night," the press release reads, which explains starting off the show with a total of 13 ensembles that aren't just black in color, but dark in energy as well. Darkness and emotion are the McQueen way, after all, so it's hardly surprising to see a sense of ornamental gloom make its way into McGirr's offering for the season. The use of blood red for languid, flowing dresses and rich jacquards on sharply tailored suits likewise felt fitting for the house. It was the lightness of other looks—a translucent, silk georgette gown in lilac with a lace ruff and cream, silk corsetted minidress featuring an enormous silk organza and natural shearling bolero—that offered just the right amount of soft, ethereal energy to the collection, thus creating a perfect balance.

Victorian Details

From the laced-up boots with an exaggerated pointed toe to the ruff collars, lace bell sleeves, and overall venue, everything about the F/W 25 show and collection were tied to Victorian London. The show space, part of the French National Museum of Natural History, was conceptualized by British Tony award-winning artist Tom Scutt, who also created an installation for the space. It featured Victorian architecture throughout, setting the stage for the clothes presented inside. The jewelry included "Victorian naturalism and Oscar Wilde-inspired motifs," according to the release, while garments' shoulders and collars were designed with practices used during the era.

Gen Z Front Row

The two most talked-about attendees at the show were Chappell Roan, who's been making the rounds in Paris for her first fashion week, and Jeon Soyeon, the South Korean leader of the K-pop group (G)I-dle. Both were dressed in McQueen from head to toe, as were fellow front-row guests like Sofia Isella, Georgia Davies, and WWW's former cover star Pinkpantheress.