The Fall 2005 collection was titled 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' and the Alexander McQueen site said of this collection: 'For the second time in his career, Alexander McQueen references The Birds for this collection a film that he remembers loving as a child principally because of the precise way in which the women featured choose to dress. Against a film-set backdrop flooded with red light models stride out in swing coats, pencil skirts, neat, cropped trousers and fitted chunky mohair all of which suit a modern-day Hitchcock heroine down to the ground. Given the source of inspiration this may be read as McQueen's interpretation of coordinated dressing almost vintage Hermes style crocodile sling-backs are teamed with matching handbags, for example. Hair is big, bouffant and blow dried and lips are painted true red.' and Vogue's review stated 'Tippi Hedren and Marilyn Monroe. Biker molls and sweater girls. You got it: Alexander McQueen went to the sixties, all the way, for fall. With its filched movie and rock 'n' roll themes, the collection read as a knowing vehicle, a McQueen director's cut. Glacially restrained tailoring, early rocker chic, the classic Hollywood ball gown moment: He had 'em all. Plus great hair, great music, and a roar of old-school glamour. But there's no such thing as a McQueen routine without a sinister psychological subtext or two. Was there a hint in the invitation—a pastiche of the film poster for Vertigo, superimposed with the title of another Hitchcock movie, The Man Who Knew Too Much? What McQueen knows shows aplenty. His combined knowledge of Savile Row tailoring and Parisian couture means he can scissor an impeccably narrow grey tweed coat or a nipped-waist pencil skirt suit, and put sizzle into period sobriety.' On the runway this was Look 8 and was an incredible moment as people caught a look at that insane back detail. This dress is also extremely interesting as it is a definitive nod to the YSL Couture dress of 1970 that was famously photoed by Jeanloup Sieff. McQueen took a very iconic vintage dress and reworked the fabrication and the cut to make it fit into his Hitchock theme. This would have been produced in limited quantities that season and it is absolutely gorgeous 

The dress is made out of a soft silk jersey fabric that has an almost T-shirt feel to it. It’s done in two layers of the fabric so that it has some structure and shape but falls over the body in a soft and easy way. The double layer also means that the inner layer works fantastically to hide any flaws on the body and then the top layer just skims over that. Once on the dress falls and drapes wonderfully  over the body. The fabric is cut on the bias so that the way it sits on the body is perfectly executed, but it is still light enough to feel extremely comfortable once on. The simple yet dramatic cut is what you want to see in a McQueen. It is that balance between femininity and darkness that his best pieces have. The neckline is slightly scooped and the sleeve are long with a cuff at each end. The fabric poufs out just a bit above each cuff. The ease of the fabric is such that when you move it moves with you and it is incredibly flattering as it glides and drapes over the body. There are minimal seams through the body and none that break the eye at the waist. From the front it just falls over you and skims its way all the way to the hem. The back is a completely different story. There the inset of black lace covers the entire back and dips low to the top of the buttocks. The black lace is backed in a nude silk chiffon and it has a slightly transparent feel. From a distance you look like you are only wearing a thin layer of lace. It is so dramatic and almost startling when you turn around to see that expanse of lace and how low it dips. It is simple, sexy and perfect. It is pure McQueen genius. It appears to have been worn very little. Excellent condition

The dress is made of two attached bias cut layers and slips over the head to wear. There is a zipper at one side and anther zipper runs across the top of one shoulder. The button at the back of the neck is more decorative then anything. Each cuff buttons to close. Tagged a 42. The fabric is cut on the bias through the body. The easy cut should work on a variety of body frames. The length will come up a bit once on the body with the bias cut. 

Sleeves: 25.5"
Inset shoulders: 13"
Bust: will stretch 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 47" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3708

Reference Photos: (1-5) Fall 2005 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection, Look 8. Model: Raquel Zimmermann.  /  (6) Yves Saint Laurent by Jeanloup Sieff, 1970.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Alexander McQueen shows always verge on avant grade installation and performance art and this one was no exception. Lee himself once said 'I don't want to do a cocktail party, I'd rather people left my shows and vomited. I prefer extreme reactions.' Vogue called this collection poetic despite that fact that it has been inspired by the 'The Shining'.  The Fall collection was entitled 'The Overlook', the name of the hotel in the film, and it was held inside a giant lucite box. The show invitation was a single sheet of A4 paper with the words 'All work and no play make Jack a dull boy' repeated over the paper. The show was set in a giant plexiglass cube complete with a birch forest, ice skaters and snow. The models walked through the forest in the falling snow as they made their journey around the box for the audience outside and the final looks were shown complete with a blizzard that was reminiscent of the final scene in the film. In the book 'Alexander McQueen', edited by Claire Wilcox, the summary of this show was that 'The collection marked a high point, not just as fashion as spectacle but also for the visual interpretation of narrative film in another medium'. Further in the notes outlining the show the coats were mentioned specifically 'As usual McQueen intrigued with his tailoring, this time manifested in a frock coat with a fantail silhouette, which attested to his interest in asymmetry and birds'. It is of particular note that the coat and its silhouette was so central to most of the coats shown. We have included shots of Looks 19, 29 and 46 but if you watch the full runway show you can see that variations of it were used throughout the presentation. 

This is a deep red version that is otherwise identical to the coats that walked the show. Very few of these would have been produced and it is amazing to have such an early piece of his work in the shop. A piece like this truly showcases McQueens strong tailoring background and master cutting abilities. I love that it is identical to the show pieces in all but the colour. Which is better then the ones shown on the runway in my own opinion. I love the strength of the deep red. The upper portion of the coat is cut with a nod to a traditional men's suit and then he has twisted and shaped the front edges into that asymmetrical shape that you see. I love that it still feels very refined despite its avant grade shape and cut. The shoulders are shaped and lightly padded with a slight soft slope to them. Each sleeve is cut on a slight curve in the proper manner of tailoring a sleeve and each has a row of three buttons to finish them at their ends. The body of the coat is shaped with a female body in mind and is cut in at the waist for shape. It closes with a single button and I am obsessed with that single flap pocket that has been elongated and runs down the hip on an angle that follows the shape on that side of the jacket. The lapels curve around the neckline and run down to the button. They are notched cut and finished in the same fabric as the body of the coat so that your eye is drawn to the angles and shapes below rather then be distracted by a collar in a different tone or fabric. The coat slides over the hip and then flares out dramatically into that fantail cut mentioned in the show notes. I laid the jacket out flat for you to see just how amazing it is cut. When laid out flat you can see how the hem is cut on a long curve that slopes up to one side, swooping up into a boxed cut end. The other end extends out from the waist in a long line to meet the curve. When it is on this falls more behind you and around you at the sides and it has tremendous movement when you walk and move. The inside is lined in a red silk satin that matches the exterior. The workmanship is meticulous and it is an absolutely beautiful and rare piece of his early work. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in an red coloured silk satin. It closes with a single button at the front. Buttons on each cuff. There are two extra buttons sewn onto the inner label. Tagged a size 44. The front pocket is still tacked shut. Padding on the shoulders. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. 

Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 61" from neck to longest point of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3701

Reference Photos: F/W 1999 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection. Look 19 (Model: Sunniva Stordal Bjorklund), Look 29 & Look 46.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

The fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree'. The 2008 collection was inspired by a combination of McQueen's 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 gown which was a part of the production run  sent to stores that season. We also found a photos of a very pregnant Ashley Simpson who wore thew twin of this dress ot the 2008 VMA's that year. Pieces from this collection are some of the most valued by collectors. 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 center piece they refer to, as you are wrapped an swathed in fabric once it is on.

The dress is astounding and the work of a master tailor. Rarely does one see this level of workmanship in ready to wear. The fabric is a beautiful silk chiffon with a soft almost waffle finish worked into it. This gives it an incredible amount of texture while the silk used is feather light. The dress once in feels like it is floating around you, like wearing air. The cut is pure McQueen with a low, almost scandalous, dipped neckline with just the suggestion of a seam that is created through a line of hand placed stitches on the exterior that run just under the bust. This gives that dress its empire feel. The texture and design that is worked into the silk make the dress feel like it has been gathered into little pleats over the bust and the final effect is beautiful. Inside, the bust is more structured and supported and it is incredible that the support comes mainly by seaming and fabric rather then extensive boning. The skirt falls to the floor from beneath the empire cut of the bodice and there are yards and yards of silk used to create the skirt. Once side is caught up and drapes and is attached to the top of the shoulder creating that stunning looped effect that you see in the photos. The back trails out behind you in a long train. It is important to note that the train on one has never been altered or shortened. I have seen others of these come to market and the trains have often been changed but this one is entirely original. It is a work of art from one of the great designers of our time. The dress has its original hang tags in place. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in black silk sating 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 and appears unworn.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: open
Hips: open
Bodice: 10.25" from shoulder to seam under bust
Length: approx 60" from shoulder to front hem and the back trains adds another approx 30"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML, will fit a small busted MED

Item# DD3473

Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 2008 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection (Look 7 & Look 27).  /  (3) Ashlee Simpson at the 2008 VMA's.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

The Fall 2005 collection was titled 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' and the Alexander McQueen site said of this collection: 'For the second time in his career, Alexander McQueen references The Birds for this collection a film that he remembers loving as a child principally because of the precise way in which the women featured choose to dress. Against a film-set backdrop flooded with red light models stride out in swing coats, pencil skirts, neat, cropped trousers and fitted chunky mohair all of which suit a modern-day Hitchcock heroine down to the ground. Given the source of inspiration this may be read as McQueen's interpretation of coordinated dressing almost vintage Hermes style crocodile sling-backs are teamed with matching handbags, for example. Hair is big, bouffant and blow dried and lips are painted true red.' and Vogue's review stated 'Tippi Hedren and Marilyn Monroe. Biker molls and sweater girls. You got it: Alexander McQueen went to the sixties, all the way, for fall. With its filched movie and rock 'n' roll themes, the collection read as a knowing vehicle, a McQueen director's cut. Glacially restrained tailoring, early rocker chic, the classic Hollywood ball gown moment: He had 'em all. Plus great hair, great music, and a roar of old-school glamour. But there's no such thing as a McQueen routine without a sinister psychological subtext or two. Was there a hint in the invitation—a pastiche of the film poster for Vertigo, superimposed with the title of another Hitchcock movie, The Man Who Knew Too Much? What McQueen knows shows aplenty. His combined knowledge of Savile Row tailoring and Parisian couture means he can scissor an impeccably narrow grey tweed coat or a nipped-waist pencil skirt suit, and put sizzle into period sobriety.' On the runway this was Look 8 and was an incredible moment as people caught a look at that insane back detail. This dress is also extremely interesting as it is a definitive nod to the YSL Couture dress of 1970 that was famously photoed by Jeanloup Sieff. McQueen took a very iconic vintage dress and reworked the fabrication and the cut to make it fit into his Hitchock theme. This would have been produced in limited quantities that season and it is absolutely gorgeous 

The dress is made out of a soft silk jersey fabric that has an almost T-shirt feel to it. It’s done in two layers of the fabric so that it has some structure and shape but falls over the body in a soft and easy way. The double layer also means that the inner layer works fantastically to hide any flaws on the body and then the top layer just skims over that. Once on the dress falls and drapes wonderfully  over the body. The fabric is cut on the bias so that the way it sits on the body is perfectly executed, but it is still light enough to feel extremely comfortable once on. The simple yet dramatic cut is what you want to see in a McQueen. It is that balance between femininity and darkness that his best pieces have. The neckline is slightly scooped and the sleeve are long with a cuff at each end. The fabric poufs out just a bit above each cuff. The ease of the fabric is such that when you move it moves with you and it is incredibly flattering as it glides and drapes over the body. There are minimal seams through the body and none that break the eye at the waist. From the front it just falls over you and skims its way all the way to the hem. The back is a completely different story. There the inset of black lace covers the entire back and dips low to the top of the buttocks. The black lace is backed in a nude silk chiffon and it has a slightly transparent feel. From a distance you look like you are only wearing a thin layer of lace. It is so dramatic and almost startling when you turn around to see that expanse of lace and how low it dips. It is simple, sexy and perfect. It is pure McQueen genius. It appears to have been worn very little. Excellent condition

The dress is made of two attached bias cut layers and slips over the head to wear. There is a zipper at one side and anther zipper runs across the top of one shoulder. The button at the back of the neck is more decorative then anything. Each cuff buttons to close. Tagged a 42. The fabric is cut on the bias through the body. The easy cut should work on a variety of body frames. The length will come up a bit once on the body with the bias cut. 

Sleeves: 25.5"
Inset shoulders: 13"
Bust: will stretch 16-19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 12-15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 47" from shoulder to hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3708

Reference Photos: (1-5) Fall 2005 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection, Look 8. Model: Raquel Zimmermann.  /  (6) Yves Saint Laurent by Jeanloup Sieff, 1970.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

Alexander McQueen shows always verge on avant grade installation and performance art and this one was no exception. Lee himself once said 'I don't want to do a cocktail party, I'd rather people left my shows and vomited. I prefer extreme reactions.' Vogue called this collection poetic despite that fact that it has been inspired by the 'The Shining'.  The Fall collection was entitled 'The Overlook', the name of the hotel in the film, and it was held inside a giant lucite box. The show invitation was a single sheet of A4 paper with the words 'All work and no play make Jack a dull boy' repeated over the paper. The show was set in a giant plexiglass cube complete with a birch forest, ice skaters and snow. The models walked through the forest in the falling snow as they made their journey around the box for the audience outside and the final looks were shown complete with a blizzard that was reminiscent of the final scene in the film. In the book 'Alexander McQueen', edited by Claire Wilcox, the summary of this show was that 'The collection marked a high point, not just as fashion as spectacle but also for the visual interpretation of narrative film in another medium'. Further in the notes outlining the show the coats were mentioned specifically 'As usual McQueen intrigued with his tailoring, this time manifested in a frock coat with a fantail silhouette, which attested to his interest in asymmetry and birds'. It is of particular note that the coat and its silhouette was so central to most of the coats shown. We have included shots of Looks 19, 29 and 46 but if you watch the full runway show you can see that variations of it were used throughout the presentation. 

This is a deep red version that is otherwise identical to the coats that walked the show. Very few of these would have been produced and it is amazing to have such an early piece of his work in the shop. A piece like this truly showcases McQueens strong tailoring background and master cutting abilities. I love that it is identical to the show pieces in all but the colour. Which is better then the ones shown on the runway in my own opinion. I love the strength of the deep red. The upper portion of the coat is cut with a nod to a traditional men's suit and then he has twisted and shaped the front edges into that asymmetrical shape that you see. I love that it still feels very refined despite its avant grade shape and cut. The shoulders are shaped and lightly padded with a slight soft slope to them. Each sleeve is cut on a slight curve in the proper manner of tailoring a sleeve and each has a row of three buttons to finish them at their ends. The body of the coat is shaped with a female body in mind and is cut in at the waist for shape. It closes with a single button and I am obsessed with that single flap pocket that has been elongated and runs down the hip on an angle that follows the shape on that side of the jacket. The lapels curve around the neckline and run down to the button. They are notched cut and finished in the same fabric as the body of the coat so that your eye is drawn to the angles and shapes below rather then be distracted by a collar in a different tone or fabric. The coat slides over the hip and then flares out dramatically into that fantail cut mentioned in the show notes. I laid the jacket out flat for you to see just how amazing it is cut. When laid out flat you can see how the hem is cut on a long curve that slopes up to one side, swooping up into a boxed cut end. The other end extends out from the waist in a long line to meet the curve. When it is on this falls more behind you and around you at the sides and it has tremendous movement when you walk and move. The inside is lined in a red silk satin that matches the exterior. The workmanship is meticulous and it is an absolutely beautiful and rare piece of his early work. Excellent condition. 

Fully lined in an red coloured silk satin. It closes with a single button at the front. Buttons on each cuff. There are two extra buttons sewn onto the inner label. Tagged a size 44. The front pocket is still tacked shut. Padding on the shoulders. It looks to have been worn very little if at all. 

Sleeves: 25"
Shoulders: 16"
Bust: 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: open
Length: 61" from neck to longest point of hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED

Item# DD3701

Reference Photos: F/W 1999 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection. Look 19 (Model: Sunniva Stordal Bjorklund), Look 29 & Look 46.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.

The fall 2008 collection was called 'The Girl Who Lived in a Tree'. The 2008 collection was inspired by a combination of McQueen's 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 gown which was a part of the production run  sent to stores that season. We also found a photos of a very pregnant Ashley Simpson who wore thew twin of this dress ot the 2008 VMA's that year. Pieces from this collection are some of the most valued by collectors. 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 center piece they refer to, as you are wrapped an swathed in fabric once it is on.

The dress is astounding and the work of a master tailor. Rarely does one see this level of workmanship in ready to wear. The fabric is a beautiful silk chiffon with a soft almost waffle finish worked into it. This gives it an incredible amount of texture while the silk used is feather light. The dress once in feels like it is floating around you, like wearing air. The cut is pure McQueen with a low, almost scandalous, dipped neckline with just the suggestion of a seam that is created through a line of hand placed stitches on the exterior that run just under the bust. This gives that dress its empire feel. The texture and design that is worked into the silk make the dress feel like it has been gathered into little pleats over the bust and the final effect is beautiful. Inside, the bust is more structured and supported and it is incredible that the support comes mainly by seaming and fabric rather then extensive boning. The skirt falls to the floor from beneath the empire cut of the bodice and there are yards and yards of silk used to create the skirt. Once side is caught up and drapes and is attached to the top of the shoulder creating that stunning looped effect that you see in the photos. The back trails out behind you in a long train. It is important to note that the train on one has never been altered or shortened. I have seen others of these come to market and the trains have often been changed but this one is entirely original. It is a work of art from one of the great designers of our time. The dress has its original hang tags in place. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in black silk sating 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 and appears unworn.

Bust: to 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam under bust: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: open
Hips: open
Bodice: 10.25" from shoulder to seam under bust
Length: approx 60" from shoulder to front hem and the back trains adds another approx 30"

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML, will fit a small busted MED

Item# DD3473

Reference Photos: (1-2) F/W 2008 Alexander McQueen Runway Collection (Look 7 & Look 27).  /  (3) Ashlee Simpson at the 2008 VMA's.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.