McQueen's Fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' and it was inspired by a combination of his trip to India and a 600 year old elm in his garden. The V&A Museum says of this collection: 'McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection centered on a fairy tale narrative devised by McQueen about a girl who descends from a tree to marry a prince and then become a queen. It was inspired by a 600-year-old elm tree in the garden of the designer’s Sussex home. At the center of the set stood a giant tree swathed in fabric, inspired by Bulgarian artist Christo, who is renowned for wrapping buildings with material.' This dress was a piece made for production for the shops and you can see a similar swooping cut that the final pieces of this show had in its design. It is stunning.

The dress is made out of a beautiful rich black silk and is cut with an almost sculptural line combined with that bias cut draping. The combination is fantastic. The dress has a more fitted inner dress and then the silk drapes over that. The bodice is strapless and there is a full built-in cupped corset that holds the dress in place and gives you support through the bust. One side of the inner more fitted dress is exposed and this gives a suggestion of the shape of the body underneath. You see the inner dress from the top of the strapless bodice, around its side, and then down to about the hip. That inner portion of the dress has been been elaborately embroidered and beaded in a stunning floral design. It is beautiful. On the other side of the bodice, a silk panel is attached all the way around the top of the neckline and then it drapes down and around to frame that exposed inner dress. It creates this beautiful curved draping effect that gives the dress a bit of a Grecian goddess feel and picks up on those drapes that he used for the final few dresses on the runway. The silk panel continues all the way around the back and then the entire thing drapes to the floor. The hem is set on a slight angle with the side that drapes down sitting longer than the other side. This creates a very classic and signature McQueen feel. It is a beautiful mix of exposing just enough of the shape of the body while still showcasing the exceptional draping that he excelled at. I love how the draping slightly exaggerates the shape of the body and add curves even though the dress is not tight tot he body in any way. No matter what angle you see this dress from there is an interesting drape or an elaborate beaded detail. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition

An inner black silk lining goes to just above the knee and there is a built in inner corset that is lightly boned and cupped. The corset has its own back zipper that fully opens and then the dress zips to close over that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a McQueen 44

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with B to maybe small C cups
Inner waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of bodice to shortest point of hem, 58" to the longest point

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4622

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

The Fall 2006 McQueen show is of course the show that famously ended with a hologram of Kate Moss twisting in the midst of a billowing white dress. Before that moment an incredible display of workmanship and craft walked the runway. Vogue noted that "For this collection, he delved into his past, revisiting his Scottish family roots and refining the contents of the rampaging tartan "Highland Rape" show with which he began his career in London in the early nineties. Shorn of its original rawness and anger, the result was a poetic and technically accomplished tale that involved romantic images of Scottish fantasy heroines wandering glens and castle halls in vaguely Victorian tartan crinolines, bird-wing or antler-and-lace headdresses, feathered gowns, and pieces made from brocades that might have been dragged down from ancient wall-hangings." Mid-show there was the appearance of several knit piece isn chunky cable knits including a version of this sweater coat that walked the runway for Look 23. This is a piece that shows Mcqueen's true genius and ability to look at pieces and reconfigure them to his own version. 

This version of the piece that walked the runway is done in a deep blue and the fabric is a wool with a touch of cashmere mixed in for added softness. It is an incredible piece and a strong statement piece as well. The design is insane. When unfolded it falls to the floor with extended panels at the front. There are open slits at the side that are utilized when you fold it up but when it's hanging down, you can choose to leave those as is or you can tuck the extended front panels through them to create a bit of a knotted effect at the bottom, as I photoed here. On the runway, he showed it the way that I think it's meant to be worn best and that's with that extended panel folded up and then your arms go through those side openings. That extended panel then becomes like an attached vest over the inner cardigan. You can also drape one side over your shoulder like an attached scarf piece. It's fantastic and genius. The collar is high. There are two leather buckle straps that hold it in place across the front and it is open under that. The knit is a chunky fisherman cable knit in feel and I was told that these would have been hand knit. An incredible piece of McQueen. Excellent condition 

Unlined and slips on to wear with the buckles at the front. 90% wool and 10% cashmere. It shows a tiny bit of pilling here and there but it's minor. The knit has some stretch so it should fit a range of sizes 

Sleeves: 24" and the upper arm is 14-20" around
Dropped shoulders: 19"
Bust: 19-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length with the panels extended: 53" from neck to shortest part of hem, 71" to the longest point
Length when the panels are folded up: approx 27" from neck to front hem and then the panels extend out past that

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4488

Reference Photos: Fall 2006 Alexander McQueen, Look 23, Model Romina Lanaro.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

McQueen's Fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' and it was inspired by a combination of his trip to India and a 600 year old elm in his garden. I have included two photos from the runway that year and you can see how the elements from these pieces were combined to create this dress. The V&A Museum says of this collection: 'McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection centered on a fairy tale narrative devised by McQueen about a girl who descends from a tree to marry a prince and then become a queen. It was inspired by a 600-year-old elm tree in the garden of the designer’s Sussex home. At the center of the set stood a giant tree swathed in fabric, inspired by Bulgarian artist Christo, who is renowned for wrapping buildings with material.' This dress feels a bit like the embodiment of that centre piece they refer to above as you are wrapped and swathed in fabric once it is on. The way that the chiffon trails behind you is fantastic once on the body. This is an extraordinary example of his work.

This dress is beautiful and rarely does one see this level of workmanship in ready to wear. The fabric is a silk chiffon with a soft almost waffle finish texture to the silk. It is feather light and once the dress in on it is magical. The cut is classic McQueen with a low cut squared off neckline at the front. Underneath the bodice where a seam would normally be there is a barely visible line of hand placed stitches. This tiny little detail adds the perfect suggestion of shape and gives the bodice its empire cut. The silk has been lightly gathered over the bust with the inside structured and supported. The inner support has been done with couture level seam work and the way the fabric is placed and shaped rather than extensive boning. It is genius. The skirt falls to the floor from beneath the bodice and there are yards and yards of silk used to create the skirt and train. Just under the bust on one side the silk extends out into a panel that drapes down the full length of the dress and then loops back up and around to attach to the top of the opposite shoulder. The effect this creates is fantastic and adds extra dimension to the dress. The skirts scoops up to floor length at the front so that you can walk and then starts to extend out at the sides to become the train that wafts out behind you at the back. The back skirts drop out from the  upper seam of the back which creates a fantastic caped feel. As you walk this billows out behind you and it is extraordinary. This is a work of art from one of the greatest designers of our time. The dress has its original hang tags in place and is in its original uncut length. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in black silk satin through the bust and black silk chiffon through the skirt. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. The interior bust is shaped and lightly boned at the sides. Original tags attached. Tagged a McQueen 38.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist-hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from shoulder to seam under bust
Length: approx 60" from shoulder to shortest point of the front hem, approx 90" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3473

Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 2008 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection (Look 7 & Look 27).

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This is an incredible dress. This was a dress produced for the shops and it is especially interesting because it is a dress that was produced again in 2011 and re-issued in an ivory for the wedding collection that year. I know this because I have that dress listed in the shop now and you can see it here. You will recall that I recently had a lace dress in that was also made under the same circumstances where a original dress done by Lee was re-issued at a later date for a wedding collection. I love having the original and as far as I am aware it was only produced in black and this purple in 2007. It has that same bias cut draped feel as the McQueen that Elle Fanning borrowed and wore recently so that will give you an idea of it on

This is a stunningly beautiful dress. It is one that will come to life even more once it is on an actual body and will only truly come to life when worn. It is a dress that definitely takes inspiration from the bias cut couture pieces of the 20s and 30s. McQueen was a master tailor and the seam work and simplicity of this dress do not hide that fact. It is made from a beautifully weighted purple silk satin that has a slight texture running through it. It has that same liquid feel that the best of the 1930s pieces did that were made from this similar fabrics. Like those dresses of the thirties this is also cut on the bias but with a more shaped silhouette. I love that the fabric is heavy enough and that the dress is lined so that it will not highlight 'flaws' underneath like some bias cut pieces can. It is cut to flow over the body and skims over the bust, waist and hips to the floor. The neckline drops into a V at the front for a bit of skin to show. It glides over the bust and there is this interesting softly curved seam that starts at the bust and runs down into the side seam. This not only helps to add a little shape but it also becomes this interesting design feature and a subtle way for him to work in one of his signature angled seams. The skirt continues past and over the hips and then flares out as it reaches the hem. At the back there is extra fabric worked around the center seam to give you a trained effect behind you. This flaring out at the bottom and the extra bit at the back give you fabulous movement when you walk or move. It also adds to the hourglass shape the dress has. The sleeves are incredible. They are set in these soft loops around each arm. They leave the sides of the shoulders bare and really add to the thirties feel of the dress. They are spectacular. It is in its original uncut length. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a purple silk satin and closes with a hidden set back zipper. Tagged a McQueen 40. The bias cut fabric does have some stretch. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. It is in its original supermodel length. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. I see perhaps a touch of grubbiness and scuffing near the hem bit it is very minor and mentioned for accuracy only.

Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to front hem, 72" the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4461

Reference Photo: Elle Fanning in Spring 2008 Alexander McQueen, from our archives, at the Critics Choice After Party, January 2023.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

The program notes told the audience of the Spring 2009 runway show that Mcqueen had been thinking of Charles Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest and 'the deleterious results of industrialization on the natural world'. The show was title 'Natural Dis-tinctions, Un-Natural Selection' and the McQueen book notes that 'the cat walk was filled with antique taxidermy, including an elephant giraffe tagger zebra and polar bear, in an art space that was formally of Paris morgue.' The twin of the dress was a part of the second portion of the show that was meant to 'continue to draw inspiration from natural forms, flowers, crystals and minerals, but here they were engineer with a hard as an enhanced to convey the synthetic qualities associated with modernity and human touch. Prints were angular and invoked crushed crystal, metallic structures such as the Eiffel tower and a granite mountain that was borrowed from a Dan Holdsworth triptych.' This collection was noted as being one of his most commercial to date during this time period and these print pieces especially had instant appeal.

This is a very recognizable Alexander McQueen piece. While there may be many of his pieces out there that only die-hard collectors would know at first glance, this is one of the dresses that has that wonderful print that you instantly can identify as being a McQueen. The colour is amazing. This dress sold out world wide when it was produced and there are very few out there. The fabric is almost like a neoprene in the way it looks and feels and yet it is not a true neoprene. It is lighter and thinner with just enough weight to it to hold the shape that he wanted but without it feeling restrictive on the body. The shape is built into the dress beginning at the shoulders which are padded so that they sit up on top of the shoulders. It skims over the bust, nips in at the waist and then curves out at the hips. The shoulders and hips balance each other out and even when laying flat you can see the shape built into the dress. At the neckline there is a keyhole that has a nude netting in behind it. This adds to the unique feel of the dress. I love the way that the seams at the hip curve in and over the waist to just under the bust. This precise seaming and cut are all done to give that exact distinct shape that he wished the piece to have. When styled on the runway with the plastered hair around the face it had an almost alien feel to it that was unbelievably fantastic. This was one of the lauded crystal prints from the collection and it is just spectacular. The dress looks to have never been worn and is in mint condition. It is an extraordinary piece of Alexander McQueen history and having a runaway pieces from him in the shop are always an exceptional thing. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a ivory tissue silk and it closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a McQueen 38. It appears to have been worn very little little bit

Bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for an A-small B cut at the front
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 32" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4360

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Spring 2009 Alexander McQueen Runway, Look 24. Model Alex Sandor.  /  (3) Page from the book 'Alexander McQueen' edited by Claire Wilcox.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

McQueen's Fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' and it was inspired by a combination of his trip to India and a 600 year old elm in his garden. The V&A Museum says of this collection: 'McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection centered on a fairy tale narrative devised by McQueen about a girl who descends from a tree to marry a prince and then become a queen. It was inspired by a 600-year-old elm tree in the garden of the designer’s Sussex home. At the center of the set stood a giant tree swathed in fabric, inspired by Bulgarian artist Christo, who is renowned for wrapping buildings with material.' This dress was a piece made for production for the shops and you can see a similar swooping cut that the final pieces of this show had in its design. It is stunning.

The dress is made out of a beautiful rich black silk and is cut with an almost sculptural line combined with that bias cut draping. The combination is fantastic. The dress has a more fitted inner dress and then the silk drapes over that. The bodice is strapless and there is a full built-in cupped corset that holds the dress in place and gives you support through the bust. One side of the inner more fitted dress is exposed and this gives a suggestion of the shape of the body underneath. You see the inner dress from the top of the strapless bodice, around its side, and then down to about the hip. That inner portion of the dress has been been elaborately embroidered and beaded in a stunning floral design. It is beautiful. On the other side of the bodice, a silk panel is attached all the way around the top of the neckline and then it drapes down and around to frame that exposed inner dress. It creates this beautiful curved draping effect that gives the dress a bit of a Grecian goddess feel and picks up on those drapes that he used for the final few dresses on the runway. The silk panel continues all the way around the back and then the entire thing drapes to the floor. The hem is set on a slight angle with the side that drapes down sitting longer than the other side. This creates a very classic and signature McQueen feel. It is a beautiful mix of exposing just enough of the shape of the body while still showcasing the exceptional draping that he excelled at. I love how the draping slightly exaggerates the shape of the body and add curves even though the dress is not tight tot he body in any way. No matter what angle you see this dress from there is an interesting drape or an elaborate beaded detail. It is gorgeous. Excellent condition

An inner black silk lining goes to just above the knee and there is a built in inner corset that is lightly boned and cupped. The corset has its own back zipper that fully opens and then the dress zips to close over that. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Tagged a McQueen 44

Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam with B to maybe small C cups
Inner waist: 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
inner hips: to 21" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of bodice to shortest point of hem, 58" to the longest point

Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG

Item# DD4622

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

The Fall 2006 McQueen show is of course the show that famously ended with a hologram of Kate Moss twisting in the midst of a billowing white dress. Before that moment an incredible display of workmanship and craft walked the runway. Vogue noted that "For this collection, he delved into his past, revisiting his Scottish family roots and refining the contents of the rampaging tartan "Highland Rape" show with which he began his career in London in the early nineties. Shorn of its original rawness and anger, the result was a poetic and technically accomplished tale that involved romantic images of Scottish fantasy heroines wandering glens and castle halls in vaguely Victorian tartan crinolines, bird-wing or antler-and-lace headdresses, feathered gowns, and pieces made from brocades that might have been dragged down from ancient wall-hangings." Mid-show there was the appearance of several knit piece isn chunky cable knits including a version of this sweater coat that walked the runway for Look 23. This is a piece that shows Mcqueen's true genius and ability to look at pieces and reconfigure them to his own version. 

This version of the piece that walked the runway is done in a deep blue and the fabric is a wool with a touch of cashmere mixed in for added softness. It is an incredible piece and a strong statement piece as well. The design is insane. When unfolded it falls to the floor with extended panels at the front. There are open slits at the side that are utilized when you fold it up but when it's hanging down, you can choose to leave those as is or you can tuck the extended front panels through them to create a bit of a knotted effect at the bottom, as I photoed here. On the runway, he showed it the way that I think it's meant to be worn best and that's with that extended panel folded up and then your arms go through those side openings. That extended panel then becomes like an attached vest over the inner cardigan. You can also drape one side over your shoulder like an attached scarf piece. It's fantastic and genius. The collar is high. There are two leather buckle straps that hold it in place across the front and it is open under that. The knit is a chunky fisherman cable knit in feel and I was told that these would have been hand knit. An incredible piece of McQueen. Excellent condition 

Unlined and slips on to wear with the buckles at the front. 90% wool and 10% cashmere. It shows a tiny bit of pilling here and there but it's minor. The knit has some stretch so it should fit a range of sizes 

Sleeves: 24" and the upper arm is 14-20" around
Dropped shoulders: 19"
Bust: 19-23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length with the panels extended: 53" from neck to shortest part of hem, 71" to the longest point
Length when the panels are folded up: approx 27" from neck to front hem and then the panels extend out past that

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-LRG

Item# DD4488

Reference Photos: Fall 2006 Alexander McQueen, Look 23, Model Romina Lanaro.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

McQueen's Fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' and it was inspired by a combination of his trip to India and a 600 year old elm in his garden. I have included two photos from the runway that year and you can see how the elements from these pieces were combined to create this dress. The V&A Museum says of this collection: 'McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2008 collection centered on a fairy tale narrative devised by McQueen about a girl who descends from a tree to marry a prince and then become a queen. It was inspired by a 600-year-old elm tree in the garden of the designer’s Sussex home. At the center of the set stood a giant tree swathed in fabric, inspired by Bulgarian artist Christo, who is renowned for wrapping buildings with material.' This dress feels a bit like the embodiment of that centre piece they refer to above as you are wrapped and swathed in fabric once it is on. The way that the chiffon trails behind you is fantastic once on the body. This is an extraordinary example of his work.

This dress is beautiful and rarely does one see this level of workmanship in ready to wear. The fabric is a silk chiffon with a soft almost waffle finish texture to the silk. It is feather light and once the dress in on it is magical. The cut is classic McQueen with a low cut squared off neckline at the front. Underneath the bodice where a seam would normally be there is a barely visible line of hand placed stitches. This tiny little detail adds the perfect suggestion of shape and gives the bodice its empire cut. The silk has been lightly gathered over the bust with the inside structured and supported. The inner support has been done with couture level seam work and the way the fabric is placed and shaped rather than extensive boning. It is genius. The skirt falls to the floor from beneath the bodice and there are yards and yards of silk used to create the skirt and train. Just under the bust on one side the silk extends out into a panel that drapes down the full length of the dress and then loops back up and around to attach to the top of the opposite shoulder. The effect this creates is fantastic and adds extra dimension to the dress. The skirts scoops up to floor length at the front so that you can walk and then starts to extend out at the sides to become the train that wafts out behind you at the back. The back skirts drop out from the  upper seam of the back which creates a fantastic caped feel. As you walk this billows out behind you and it is extraordinary. This is a work of art from one of the greatest designers of our time. The dress has its original hang tags in place and is in its original uncut length. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in black silk satin through the bust and black silk chiffon through the skirt. It closes with a hidden set zipper at the back. The interior bust is shaped and lightly boned at the sides. Original tags attached. Tagged a McQueen 38.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 13" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist-hips: open
Bodice: 10.5" from shoulder to seam under bust
Length: approx 60" from shoulder to shortest point of the front hem, approx 90" to the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3473

Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 2008 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection (Look 7 & Look 27).

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

This is an incredible dress. This was a dress produced for the shops and it is especially interesting because it is a dress that was produced again in 2011 and re-issued in an ivory for the wedding collection that year. I know this because I have that dress listed in the shop now and you can see it here. You will recall that I recently had a lace dress in that was also made under the same circumstances where a original dress done by Lee was re-issued at a later date for a wedding collection. I love having the original and as far as I am aware it was only produced in black and this purple in 2007. It has that same bias cut draped feel as the McQueen that Elle Fanning borrowed and wore recently so that will give you an idea of it on

This is a stunningly beautiful dress. It is one that will come to life even more once it is on an actual body and will only truly come to life when worn. It is a dress that definitely takes inspiration from the bias cut couture pieces of the 20s and 30s. McQueen was a master tailor and the seam work and simplicity of this dress do not hide that fact. It is made from a beautifully weighted purple silk satin that has a slight texture running through it. It has that same liquid feel that the best of the 1930s pieces did that were made from this similar fabrics. Like those dresses of the thirties this is also cut on the bias but with a more shaped silhouette. I love that the fabric is heavy enough and that the dress is lined so that it will not highlight 'flaws' underneath like some bias cut pieces can. It is cut to flow over the body and skims over the bust, waist and hips to the floor. The neckline drops into a V at the front for a bit of skin to show. It glides over the bust and there is this interesting softly curved seam that starts at the bust and runs down into the side seam. This not only helps to add a little shape but it also becomes this interesting design feature and a subtle way for him to work in one of his signature angled seams. The skirt continues past and over the hips and then flares out as it reaches the hem. At the back there is extra fabric worked around the center seam to give you a trained effect behind you. This flaring out at the bottom and the extra bit at the back give you fabulous movement when you walk or move. It also adds to the hourglass shape the dress has. The sleeves are incredible. They are set in these soft loops around each arm. They leave the sides of the shoulders bare and really add to the thirties feel of the dress. They are spectacular. It is in its original uncut length. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a purple silk satin and closes with a hidden set back zipper. Tagged a McQueen 40. The bias cut fabric does have some stretch. The measurements below give you the comfortable range the fabric has when lying flat. It is in its original supermodel length. The bias cut should allow it to fit a range of sizes. I see perhaps a touch of grubbiness and scuffing near the hem bit it is very minor and mentioned for accuracy only.

Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 62" from top of shoulder to front hem, 72" the longest point of the back hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD4461

Reference Photo: Elle Fanning in Spring 2008 Alexander McQueen, from our archives, at the Critics Choice After Party, January 2023.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.

The program notes told the audience of the Spring 2009 runway show that Mcqueen had been thinking of Charles Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest and 'the deleterious results of industrialization on the natural world'. The show was title 'Natural Dis-tinctions, Un-Natural Selection' and the McQueen book notes that 'the cat walk was filled with antique taxidermy, including an elephant giraffe tagger zebra and polar bear, in an art space that was formally of Paris morgue.' The twin of the dress was a part of the second portion of the show that was meant to 'continue to draw inspiration from natural forms, flowers, crystals and minerals, but here they were engineer with a hard as an enhanced to convey the synthetic qualities associated with modernity and human touch. Prints were angular and invoked crushed crystal, metallic structures such as the Eiffel tower and a granite mountain that was borrowed from a Dan Holdsworth triptych.' This collection was noted as being one of his most commercial to date during this time period and these print pieces especially had instant appeal.

This is a very recognizable Alexander McQueen piece. While there may be many of his pieces out there that only die-hard collectors would know at first glance, this is one of the dresses that has that wonderful print that you instantly can identify as being a McQueen. The colour is amazing. This dress sold out world wide when it was produced and there are very few out there. The fabric is almost like a neoprene in the way it looks and feels and yet it is not a true neoprene. It is lighter and thinner with just enough weight to it to hold the shape that he wanted but without it feeling restrictive on the body. The shape is built into the dress beginning at the shoulders which are padded so that they sit up on top of the shoulders. It skims over the bust, nips in at the waist and then curves out at the hips. The shoulders and hips balance each other out and even when laying flat you can see the shape built into the dress. At the neckline there is a keyhole that has a nude netting in behind it. This adds to the unique feel of the dress. I love the way that the seams at the hip curve in and over the waist to just under the bust. This precise seaming and cut are all done to give that exact distinct shape that he wished the piece to have. When styled on the runway with the plastered hair around the face it had an almost alien feel to it that was unbelievably fantastic. This was one of the lauded crystal prints from the collection and it is just spectacular. The dress looks to have never been worn and is in mint condition. It is an extraordinary piece of Alexander McQueen history and having a runaway pieces from him in the shop are always an exceptional thing. Excellent condition

Fully lined in a ivory tissue silk and it closes at the back with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a McQueen 38. It appears to have been worn very little little bit

Bust: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with room for an A-small B cut at the front
Waist: 12" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 32" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD4360

Reference Photos/Video: (1-2) Spring 2009 Alexander McQueen Runway, Look 24. Model Alex Sandor.  /  (3) Page from the book 'Alexander McQueen' edited by Claire Wilcox.

All items are thoroughly checked over before shipping. Unless noted everything in our shop has been professionally cleaned. All sales are final. Overseas clients will be emailed to obtain agreement to our final sales policy before the order is shipped as per our return policy.