alexander mcqueen
Fall 2008 Alexander McQueen 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree' Strapless Draped Silk Dress w Elaborate Beading
- This dress is from the McQueen's Fall 2008 collection.
- It was made under the creative direction of Alexander McQueen.
- This is the actual dress worn by Connie Britton to the 2024 Emmys.
- The 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.'
- You can see a similar swooping cut that the final pieces of this show had.
- The dress is made out of a beautiful rich black silk and is cut with a sculptural line combined with that bias cut draping.
- Inside there is a more fitted dress and then the length is created by a long panel of black silk that is attached around the neck line and drapes over the inner dress.
- The dress is strapless and there is a full built-in cupped and boned corset that holds the dress in place and gives you support. The way that the silk panel is draped over the inner dress allows one side of the inner dress to be seen.
- The part of the inner dress that can be seen was then elaborately finished with hand done embroidery and beads done in a stunning floral design. I took several photos holding the draped panel away from the inner part of the dress so you can see how the beading extends even underneath the panel that lies over top of it.
- The silk panel that sits over this beautifully constructed inner bodice falls around you all the way to the floor on one side. On the other side, the silk is gathered up so that it drapes down and around you. This is a classic and signature McQueen silhouette, and is absolutely stunning once on the body.
- The dress is a beautiful mix of exposing just enough of the shape of the body so you don't lose your shape completely while at the same time it showcases the exceptional tailoring skills that he excelled at and how he could control the draping exactly how he wished it to fall.
- I love how the draping slightly exaggerates the shape of the body. No matter what angle you see this dress from once it is on there is an interesting drape or an elaborate beaded detail.
- Inside, 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 to close and then the dress zips to close over that with a hidden set back zipper. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.
- Tagged a McQueen 44
- Excellent condition
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: to 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
inner hips: to 22" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 55" from top of bodice to shortest point of hem at one side, 58" to the longest point on the other side
Modern Sizing Equivalent: MED-LRG
Item# DD5338
Reference Photos: Connie Britton in this dress at the 2024 Emmys.
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Please review all measurements carefully. More often than not, vintage garments do not fit any size category exactly. If in doubt, measure a garment of your own that fits and is a similar cut and compare it's measurements to the listed measurements below.
