smiljan radic erects cloud-like dome for alexander mcqueen show

alexander mcqueen TAKES TO THE SKIES FOR LONDON HOMECOMING

alexander mcqueen showcased its spring/summer 2022 womenswear collection in east london from inside a transparent, cloud-shaped structure designed by chilean architect smiljan radic. the S/S 2022 fashion show took place on tuesday, october 13th from the rooftop of a car park in tobacco dock. the event marked a homecoming for the british fashion house, which, for the past 20 years has shown its latest collections in paris.

fitting with the surroundings, the new womenswear collection takes inspiration from london’s ever-changing and often turbulent skies. sarah burton, the creative director of alexander mcqueen, said, ‘I am interested in immersing myself in the environment in which we live and work, in london, and in the elements as we experience them each day. we moved from water – and the mud on the banks of the thames – to the sky and the ever-changing, all-encompassing magnificence that represents.’

images courtesy of alexander mcqueen

‘the artwork for the prints in this collection was shot from the rooftops of the studio where we are lucky enough to have the most incredible views of the city: from saint paul’s cathedral to the london eye. we watched the weather and captured the formation and coloration of clouds from daybreak to nightfall and documented changing patterns, from clear blue skies to more turbulent ones. that led me to storm chasing,’ burton continues.

‘I love the idea of the mcqueen woman being a storm chaser, of the qualities of storm chasing uniting the passionately individual community of characters wearing the clothes. they inhabit the same universe and the clothes are inspired by and made for them.’

‘storm chasing is not only about the beauty of the views but also a sense of mystery and excitement – about embracing the fact that we can’t ever be sure of what might happen next. to give up control and be directly in touch with the unpredictable is to be part of nature, to see and feel it at its most intense – to be at one with a world that is bigger and more powerful than we are.’

the S/S 2022 show took place from the rooftop of a 10 storey car park

as well as a homecoming for alexander mcqueen, the S/S 2022 show also marked the latest in a long line of collaborations with smiljan radic. this time around, radic created a clear inflatable structure that allowed guests to feel open to the elements but sheltered at the same time.

you can watch the full alexander mcqueen spring/summer 2022 womenswear show here below: