Among the catwalks and the commentariat, what we’ve been talking about is how to represent women. Femaleness is a spectrum, not a grab bag for definitive pronouncements about power or romanticism. Yet it’s simple: Fashion should aid and abet us in all our various disguises, battles, triumphs, and—we hope—pleasures. It’s there to help mark our individuality. Why else buy?
Sarah Burton’s is a subtle woman’s voice speaking through these complexities. Shoot from one end of her collection—an impeccable female tuxedo—to the gowns at the finish, and you will see someone working through our climate of change. Her empathy and stunning couture-level skills went into a collection she described as being about “extreme nature. Metamorphosis. A soft armor for women.”
Burton’s affinity for the natural world is well known—it’s something she shared with Alexander McQueen. Her starting point was thinking about “butterflies and bugs, and paradise found rather than lost.” So we picked up on some symbolic imagery: Tailcoats and leather bodices that seemed caught in the process of peeling away, like cocoons. Butterfly wing patterns on dresses and fil coupe coats. Silk fringing. Exotic insect embroideries. A finale where pink duchesse satin butterfly wings and a grand, luscious red bow burst forth from a pair of tailored evening jackets.
Burton has always been loyal to the memory of her late boss and friend. She’s carrying on his tailoring heritage with success. Pantsuits are selling, she said. For Fall, their origins could be traced back to the uniforms of the British Royal Horse Guards, with square-cut military horse blankets forming wraps. There were calf-length, high-heeled riding boots to match.
But there was more than this narrative thread going on. Over time, Burton has been listening and adapting McQueen shows to make them more relatable. Her inclusive casting this season had models of color and various ages—her new normal for the brand. In a way, you could say the metamorphosis is that of Burton as a designer, breaking out of the conceptual restrictions of McQueen and saying things as she sees them. That widens the world of Alexander McQueen to far more women—trainer wearers, even—than ever before.
