Fall 2005's collection was called "The Man Who Knew Too Much". The Alexander McQueen site says 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."
This sweater is from the RTW collection based on the runway. It is a chunky cable knit sweater with amazing sleeves that are actually created on a curve with a hige twisted cable design running up each. It is cropped and scooped upwards in the front. The buttons are wonderful - large leather knots in a deep brown perfectly offsets the cream wool. It is in excellent, museum quality condition.
Unlined and tagged a L but please go by actual measurements as it runs small
Shoulders: no defined seams
Sleeves: approx 25"
Bust: 16-18" flat across the back from side seam to side seam
Total length: 18" from neck to bottom hem
Modern Sizing equivalent: SML-MED
Item# S544
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.
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SIZE GUIDE
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.

SEE MORE FROM ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

alexander mcqueen
Fall 2002 Alexander McQueen 'Supercalifragilistic-Expialidocious' Runway Black Lace & Silk Chiffon Dress
I Have a Question
Vogue praised the intricate and meticulous details put into the pieces of this collection. The collection was inspired by a mix of Marie Antoinette, Tim Burton films, Sleepy Hollow in particular, and he even had Burton design the lighting for the show. There was a bit of schoolgirl fetish in the mix and the Supercalifragilistic-Expialidocious title of the show was of course taken from Mary Poppins. I have included a snapshot from one of the Mcqueen books that talks more of the various inspirations that were behind this spectacular collection. On the clothes themselves Vogue noted the 'Milkmaid necklines—far from innocent-were pushed up by leather bodices that curved down into the tightest pencil skirts, and finished off with thigh-high leather boots. McQueen moved from that Helmut Newton-esque fantasy to another—bad schoolgirls, who mixed lingerie and silver lamé ties and skirts in with their proper blazers and duffels. For a splendid finale, he brought out romantic flouncy skirts....' Lee did multiple variations of this look throughout the collection and this neckline in particular was a prominent detail. This dress was a piece made for production for the shops and seems to be a combination of the final look of the show and an earlier ivory version of the dress. I have included both those reference looks here. It is extremely beautiful in person.
'I wanted it to be romantic, beautiful,' McQueen said of this collection and the pieces, the dresses especially, were just that. The dress has a beautifully romantic and slightly subversive scooped neckline. There is an inset of black silk chiffon that is gathered into a raw edged ruffle all the way around the neck line. It dips low in the front and also at the back. A silk satin band acts like a halter corset and is set under the breasts for support. Little capped silk chiffon sleeves are set on each side and their edges have also been left raw and unfinished. Under the bust there are panels of the same silk as the halter detail that wrap around from the back zipper. These curve down and past the waist at the front to add shape through the waist. The dress is made from long vertical seams that run from under the breast to the hem. The dress skims over the hips and then flares out dramatically at the hem. Long triangle shaped panels have been set all around the skirt between the vertical panels to create that wonderful flared fullness. Under that is a second inner layer that's also completely vertically seamed. The inner layer is made from a soft black silk but when it reaches the hem it also has insets of the black lace. These act as support to the top layer and help keep the shape and fullness of the skirt. Under all of that is another layer of silk chiffon with a raw edge hem. The lace has been treated so that it is slightly stiffened and this helps to retain the volume of the dress. Inside the bodice there is a banded corset shaped almost like a bandeau for support and some extra shape. At the back zipper on either side are more of the laced panels to give the illusion that you are completely laced and corseted into the dress. The dress is spectacular and it is immaculate. This is a wonderful example of his work during this time. period. And it's even better on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in layers of silk as described above. The inner corset closes with lingerie hook and eye and then dress zips to close over that. Tagged a McQueen 42. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all. I have included the measurements for the outer dress as well as the inner corset. You could extend/add to the inner corset to get more room if needed
Inner corset: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam, outer bust to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam, outer bust to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to inner waist
Total length: 40" from top of the shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4234
Reference Photos/Video: (1-6) Fall 2002 Alexander McQueen Runway. / (7) From the book "Alexander McQueen" Edited by Claire Wilcox. / (8) Alexander McQueen dress on display at the "Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-vouz" exhibit at the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, 2023. (photo courtesy @pmb1976)
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
Stunning Spring 2010 Alexander McQueen Intricately Printed Strapless Bias Cut Dress
I Have a Question
This is a gorgeous dress from Alexander McQueen. It is from his Spring 2010 collection and it is a one of the original variations of a dress that they still make to this day. Julianne Hough recently wore a black version from my archives and I have included some shots of her so you can get an idea of how amazing it is on the body. The one that she wore was from a later collection released under the creative direction of Sarah Burton but it was based on the dresses released from this original 2010 collection. I have two versions of this dress in the shop from this season at the moment, you can find the other one here. This is basically the printed version of the one that Julianne wore. It is a fantastic example of his work. I love it
The dress is made from a printed silk chiffon that is covered with one of his signature intricate designs. Prince a trailing design of leaves and flowers that float over the dress and follow the amazing draping that the dress has. It is strapless with a built-in inner cupped bodice that gives you support and holds the dress in place. The cups are shaped and these cups are one of the things that you see that is different from the later versions of this dress. These earlier piece have distinctively shaped cups The seams in the inner cups are exaggerated and this gives them this beautiful curving angle shape at the sides and peak at the front. The silk that drapes over that is all cut on the bias. The dress glides over the inner structure and falls in column to the skirt. The silk is gathered in towards the center of the front and the back so that there is more draping there and then it fall in draping curves down the sides. The choice of silk chiffon for this one gives it a lighter than air feel and as you move the silk billows and floats around you. It also creates this incredible movement when you walk. The dress is original supermodel length and looks to have been worn very little if at all. It is spectacularly beautiful.Excellent condition
Fully lined in a black bias cut silk and has a built in cupped corset. The inner corset closes with its own zipper and the dress zips to close over that with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a McQueen 44. The inner corset has some stretch. You could have the inner corset adjusted if you needed more or less room. Buttons on the inner bodice to add straps if you wanted.
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam with a B-C cup
Inner corset waist: 13-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 64" from top of bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4181
Reference Photos: Julianne Hough in Alexander McQueen from the Shrimpton Couture Archives for the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, 2022.
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
Incredible Fall 2008 Alexander McQueen 'The Girl Who Lived in the Trees' Black Silk Chiffon Dress
I Have a Question
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. 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 impact of this dress is not truly conveyed on the photos and the way that the chiffon trails behind you is fantastic once on the body.
The dress is beautiful. 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. The silk is feather light and once the dress in on the body it feels like you are wearing air. The cut is classic McQueen with an almost scandalously low cut squared off neckline. Underneath he has suggested the presence of a seam with a line of hand placed stitches. This tiny little detail adds shape and gives that dress its empire feel. It is lightly gathered over the bust. Inside the bust is structured and supported. The support is genius and done mainly by couture level seam work and fabric rather then extensive boning. The skirt falls to the floor from beneath the bodice and there are many yards of silk used to create that magnificent skirt. On one side under the bust there is a extra panel of the silk that is caught up and drapes to attach to the top of the opposite shoulder. This creates this curved line that sits off of the dress. The skirts are long and extend even longer at the back. The skirt extends out there to trail out behind you in a long train. I love how the fanbric there extends out from the back upper seam ... as you walk this creates this billowing feel behind you that is extraordinary. It 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).
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
Spectacular Pre-Fall 2016 Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton Black Nude Lace Dress
I Have a Question
This spectacular Alexander McQueen dress is from the Pre-fall 2016 collection. The presentation version was far more elaborate but I think I prefer this one. It allows you to really see the pattern on the lace and I think can be worn to more functions with its simpler more versatile feel. Vogue's Sarah Mower said in part of this collection; 'There’s a sensuous glamour emerging through Pre-Fall which seems to be hovering somewhere around the ’30s or ’40s. Sarah Burton has pinned it to a theme she called “thinking about a woman’s obsession with the possessions she treasures, like her jewelry and makeup, and the things she collects.” This Pre-Fall character is a properly elegant woman, with red lipstick and a penchant for feather chubbies and velvet ankle-strap platforms, who might reach into her extensive wardrobe and choose between any number of fragile, dramatic gowns for an evening out.' and the lace butterfly dresses were mentioned specifically; 'Well, it’s a delight when fashion can make you fantasize for a moment. Yet the fact is that Sarah Burton has steered this collection gently away from too much stylization. “It's quite feminine, and unconstructed,” is the way she puts it. The patterns of lipsticks, Fabergé eggs, butterflies, birds, and the McQueen skull motif appear as prints on silk dresses and on coats, as well as on the show-stopping embroidered sheer gowns.'
The dress is almost startling in its beauty. It is made from an inner taupey nude silk that acts as the backdrop for the black net lace that sits over it. This allows you to fully appreciate the pattern that is worked through the lace. From a distance it acts as an illusion that you are bare under the lace. The lace itself has large butterflies worked through it that are beautiful. Every line of the dress is perfection. It falls from the shoulder to follow the curve of your body. Seams worked through the dress create the shape that you see but they have taken great care to line up the pattern of the lace along each seam so that your eye is not broken and the pattern remains true as it trails across the dress. From the waist is falls in one long sheath to the floor widening out gently as it reaches the hem. At the back it has a large curved cut out that leaves you entire back bare and exposed. So when you walk away it has a very sensual and sexy feel. The sleeves are the final touch and they are fantastic. Each is unlined so that you see bare skin through the lace. They are cut high and peaked at the top of the shoulder with a little bit of tulle at the inner edge to hold their shape. It is spectacular and a wonderful example of Sarah's earlier work. It is a wonderful dress now and will be a collectible in the future. Excellent condition
Fully lined in silk as described above and closes with a low set hidden zipper at the back. Three button and loops behind the neck. Each cuff zippers to close. Tagged a modern McQueen 42.
Sleeves: 25"
Inset shoulders: 13" with natural shoulders approx 15"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from neck to hem
Neck: 14" around
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3964
Reference Photo: Pre-Fall 2016 Alexander McQueen Collection, Look 33.
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
Incredible 2012 Alexander McQueen Ivory Lace Corseted Wedding Dress w High Front and Trained Back
I Have a Question
This dress is instantly recognizable as an Alexander McQueen piece. And it is an incredibly interesting piece when you fully delve into its history. This was a part of the McQueen wedding dress line for the Spring of 2012. By that date the label was under the direction of Sarah Burton. However this dress is a ivory lace version of the dress that Lee designed for the 2007 runway for Look 20. I have seen the twin of this dress for sale at more then double my price and mislabeled as being a 2007 original. But it is not. It was produced in 2012 as an updated dress made wedding appropriate and was based on the 2007 dress that I have included here. The 2007 collection was titled "Sarabrande" and the Alexander McQueen website stated this of that collection:The inspiration is Handelís Sarabande of the title is a majestic and elegant dance - the portraits of Goya, the turn of the century exotic and socialite Marchesa Luisa Casati and garden flowers. As always, there is a melancholic undertone: faded flowers are trapped in chiffon and lace, ruffled skirts constructed out of tiers of delicate petals and prints are botanical brightly coloured birds and blooms, scattering swallows and winding stems of leaves. Show pieces include a dress made entirely out of frozen flowers. Tailoring is this time more fluid than it has been and clothing indebted to horsemanship is worn with finely worked, oversized pirate shirts. McQueen's idealisation of the feminine form continues with an exaggerated hour-glass silhouette.' So the dress is an original Alexander McQueen design but one that was executed after his death. The connection to Lee makes it very interesting and the dress is exceptionally beautiful.
The dress is stunning and even though it is meant to be a wedding dress I think that his work transcends any box assigned to it. As stunning a piece it would make for a bride it would also be spectacular for the events surrounding a wedding weekend or as a gala / event piece. The dress is very fitted through the bodice and waist with a fully built in corset whose boning acts as a secondary design element. You can just see it peaking though the lace over the bust and bodice and the curves and complex pattern iff the boning makes for an interesting detail in itself. The breasts are formed and cupped and and the skirt falls to about the knee, depending on your height, at the front. The sleeves are to the elbow and made from a single layer of that stunning lace. It is set to sit off the shoulder and the runway version in black really gives you an idea of fit. On the runway I think they added a hip peplum or tulle under the back and sides to create a more bustle effect. On this one the train falls in a more graceful and soft feeling down the sides and then down the back to slightly train behind you. If you loved the look of the runway it would be easy to have something made to support the fabric underneath and recreate that look. It is an incredible dress and though it does look pretty on my dress form it is no where near as gorgeous as it will be on an actual body. Excellent condition with one minor note below.
The bodice has a full complexly boned corset and cups and closes with a back hidden set zipper. The lace snaps into place over the top portion of the zipper and just above it. The skirt is fully lined in an ivory silk. This was never worn but there is a small yellowing spot on the back of the lace above the zipper that happened during storage. It is on the underside of the lace that snaps to close so once it is snapped into place the lace above it hides it completely. I have added three photos after the label shots to show this. The first is the mark on the lining, the second to show that it peaks out on the lace just slightly and the third shows it snapped close with the other side over it completely hiding the mark. The corset does have some stretch. Tagged a 42
Sleeves: 12.5"
Bust: approx 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with a B-C cup
Waist: 12-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the bottom of the corset/top of the hips: 16-17.5"
Natural hips: open
Bodice: 19" from top of natural shoulder to bottom seam of the corset
Skirt: 38" from top of natural shoulder to front hem, 64" to the longest point of the back
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3907
Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2007 Alexander McQueen Runway. Look 20 worn by Camila Finn. / (4) Cate Blanchett in Black Lace Alexander McQueen at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards
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
Fall 2002 Alexander McQueen 'Supercalifragilistic-Expialidocious' Runway Black Lace & Silk Chiffon Dress
I Have a Question
Vogue praised the intricate and meticulous details put into the pieces of this collection. The collection was inspired by a mix of Marie Antoinette, Tim Burton films, Sleepy Hollow in particular, and he even had Burton design the lighting for the show. There was a bit of schoolgirl fetish in the mix and the Supercalifragilistic-Expialidocious title of the show was of course taken from Mary Poppins. I have included a snapshot from one of the Mcqueen books that talks more of the various inspirations that were behind this spectacular collection. On the clothes themselves Vogue noted the 'Milkmaid necklines—far from innocent-were pushed up by leather bodices that curved down into the tightest pencil skirts, and finished off with thigh-high leather boots. McQueen moved from that Helmut Newton-esque fantasy to another—bad schoolgirls, who mixed lingerie and silver lamé ties and skirts in with their proper blazers and duffels. For a splendid finale, he brought out romantic flouncy skirts....' Lee did multiple variations of this look throughout the collection and this neckline in particular was a prominent detail. This dress was a piece made for production for the shops and seems to be a combination of the final look of the show and an earlier ivory version of the dress. I have included both those reference looks here. It is extremely beautiful in person.
'I wanted it to be romantic, beautiful,' McQueen said of this collection and the pieces, the dresses especially, were just that. The dress has a beautifully romantic and slightly subversive scooped neckline. There is an inset of black silk chiffon that is gathered into a raw edged ruffle all the way around the neck line. It dips low in the front and also at the back. A silk satin band acts like a halter corset and is set under the breasts for support. Little capped silk chiffon sleeves are set on each side and their edges have also been left raw and unfinished. Under the bust there are panels of the same silk as the halter detail that wrap around from the back zipper. These curve down and past the waist at the front to add shape through the waist. The dress is made from long vertical seams that run from under the breast to the hem. The dress skims over the hips and then flares out dramatically at the hem. Long triangle shaped panels have been set all around the skirt between the vertical panels to create that wonderful flared fullness. Under that is a second inner layer that's also completely vertically seamed. The inner layer is made from a soft black silk but when it reaches the hem it also has insets of the black lace. These act as support to the top layer and help keep the shape and fullness of the skirt. Under all of that is another layer of silk chiffon with a raw edge hem. The lace has been treated so that it is slightly stiffened and this helps to retain the volume of the dress. Inside the bodice there is a banded corset shaped almost like a bandeau for support and some extra shape. At the back zipper on either side are more of the laced panels to give the illusion that you are completely laced and corseted into the dress. The dress is spectacular and it is immaculate. This is a wonderful example of his work during this time. period. And it's even better on the body. It appears to have been worn very little if at all. Excellent condition
Fully lined in layers of silk as described above. The inner corset closes with lingerie hook and eye and then dress zips to close over that. Tagged a McQueen 42. The dress appears to have been worn very little if at all. I have included the measurements for the outer dress as well as the inner corset. You could extend/add to the inner corset to get more room if needed
Inner corset: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam, outer bust to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner waist: 14" flat across from side seam to side seam, outer bust to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 18.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to inner waist
Total length: 40" from top of the shoulder to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4234
Reference Photos/Video: (1-6) Fall 2002 Alexander McQueen Runway. / (7) From the book "Alexander McQueen" Edited by Claire Wilcox. / (8) Alexander McQueen dress on display at the "Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-vouz" exhibit at the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, 2023. (photo courtesy @pmb1976)
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
Stunning Spring 2010 Alexander McQueen Intricately Printed Strapless Bias Cut Dress
I Have a Question
This is a gorgeous dress from Alexander McQueen. It is from his Spring 2010 collection and it is a one of the original variations of a dress that they still make to this day. Julianne Hough recently wore a black version from my archives and I have included some shots of her so you can get an idea of how amazing it is on the body. The one that she wore was from a later collection released under the creative direction of Sarah Burton but it was based on the dresses released from this original 2010 collection. I have two versions of this dress in the shop from this season at the moment, you can find the other one here. This is basically the printed version of the one that Julianne wore. It is a fantastic example of his work. I love it
The dress is made from a printed silk chiffon that is covered with one of his signature intricate designs. Prince a trailing design of leaves and flowers that float over the dress and follow the amazing draping that the dress has. It is strapless with a built-in inner cupped bodice that gives you support and holds the dress in place. The cups are shaped and these cups are one of the things that you see that is different from the later versions of this dress. These earlier piece have distinctively shaped cups The seams in the inner cups are exaggerated and this gives them this beautiful curving angle shape at the sides and peak at the front. The silk that drapes over that is all cut on the bias. The dress glides over the inner structure and falls in column to the skirt. The silk is gathered in towards the center of the front and the back so that there is more draping there and then it fall in draping curves down the sides. The choice of silk chiffon for this one gives it a lighter than air feel and as you move the silk billows and floats around you. It also creates this incredible movement when you walk. The dress is original supermodel length and looks to have been worn very little if at all. It is spectacularly beautiful.Excellent condition
Fully lined in a black bias cut silk and has a built in cupped corset. The inner corset closes with its own zipper and the dress zips to close over that with a hidden set zipper. Tagged a McQueen 44. The inner corset has some stretch. You could have the inner corset adjusted if you needed more or less room. Buttons on the inner bodice to add straps if you wanted.
Bust: to 18" flat across from side seam to side seam with a B-C cup
Inner corset waist: 13-16" flat across from side seam to side seam
Inner hips: to 24" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 64" from top of bodice to hem
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD4181
Reference Photos: Julianne Hough in Alexander McQueen from the Shrimpton Couture Archives for the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, 2022.
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
Incredible Fall 2008 Alexander McQueen 'The Girl Who Lived in the Trees' Black Silk Chiffon Dress
I Have a Question
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. 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 impact of this dress is not truly conveyed on the photos and the way that the chiffon trails behind you is fantastic once on the body.
The dress is beautiful. 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. The silk is feather light and once the dress in on the body it feels like you are wearing air. The cut is classic McQueen with an almost scandalously low cut squared off neckline. Underneath he has suggested the presence of a seam with a line of hand placed stitches. This tiny little detail adds shape and gives that dress its empire feel. It is lightly gathered over the bust. Inside the bust is structured and supported. The support is genius and done mainly by couture level seam work and fabric rather then extensive boning. The skirt falls to the floor from beneath the bodice and there are many yards of silk used to create that magnificent skirt. On one side under the bust there is a extra panel of the silk that is caught up and drapes to attach to the top of the opposite shoulder. This creates this curved line that sits off of the dress. The skirts are long and extend even longer at the back. The skirt extends out there to trail out behind you in a long train. I love how the fanbric there extends out from the back upper seam ... as you walk this creates this billowing feel behind you that is extraordinary. It 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).
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
Spectacular Pre-Fall 2016 Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton Black Nude Lace Dress
I Have a Question
This spectacular Alexander McQueen dress is from the Pre-fall 2016 collection. The presentation version was far more elaborate but I think I prefer this one. It allows you to really see the pattern on the lace and I think can be worn to more functions with its simpler more versatile feel. Vogue's Sarah Mower said in part of this collection; 'There’s a sensuous glamour emerging through Pre-Fall which seems to be hovering somewhere around the ’30s or ’40s. Sarah Burton has pinned it to a theme she called “thinking about a woman’s obsession with the possessions she treasures, like her jewelry and makeup, and the things she collects.” This Pre-Fall character is a properly elegant woman, with red lipstick and a penchant for feather chubbies and velvet ankle-strap platforms, who might reach into her extensive wardrobe and choose between any number of fragile, dramatic gowns for an evening out.' and the lace butterfly dresses were mentioned specifically; 'Well, it’s a delight when fashion can make you fantasize for a moment. Yet the fact is that Sarah Burton has steered this collection gently away from too much stylization. “It's quite feminine, and unconstructed,” is the way she puts it. The patterns of lipsticks, Fabergé eggs, butterflies, birds, and the McQueen skull motif appear as prints on silk dresses and on coats, as well as on the show-stopping embroidered sheer gowns.'
The dress is almost startling in its beauty. It is made from an inner taupey nude silk that acts as the backdrop for the black net lace that sits over it. This allows you to fully appreciate the pattern that is worked through the lace. From a distance it acts as an illusion that you are bare under the lace. The lace itself has large butterflies worked through it that are beautiful. Every line of the dress is perfection. It falls from the shoulder to follow the curve of your body. Seams worked through the dress create the shape that you see but they have taken great care to line up the pattern of the lace along each seam so that your eye is not broken and the pattern remains true as it trails across the dress. From the waist is falls in one long sheath to the floor widening out gently as it reaches the hem. At the back it has a large curved cut out that leaves you entire back bare and exposed. So when you walk away it has a very sensual and sexy feel. The sleeves are the final touch and they are fantastic. Each is unlined so that you see bare skin through the lace. They are cut high and peaked at the top of the shoulder with a little bit of tulle at the inner edge to hold their shape. It is spectacular and a wonderful example of Sarah's earlier work. It is a wonderful dress now and will be a collectible in the future. Excellent condition
Fully lined in silk as described above and closes with a low set hidden zipper at the back. Three button and loops behind the neck. Each cuff zippers to close. Tagged a modern McQueen 42.
Sleeves: 25"
Inset shoulders: 13" with natural shoulders approx 15"
Bust: to 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Length: 58" from neck to hem
Neck: 14" around
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3964
Reference Photo: Pre-Fall 2016 Alexander McQueen Collection, Look 33.
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
Incredible 2012 Alexander McQueen Ivory Lace Corseted Wedding Dress w High Front and Trained Back
I Have a Question
This dress is instantly recognizable as an Alexander McQueen piece. And it is an incredibly interesting piece when you fully delve into its history. This was a part of the McQueen wedding dress line for the Spring of 2012. By that date the label was under the direction of Sarah Burton. However this dress is a ivory lace version of the dress that Lee designed for the 2007 runway for Look 20. I have seen the twin of this dress for sale at more then double my price and mislabeled as being a 2007 original. But it is not. It was produced in 2012 as an updated dress made wedding appropriate and was based on the 2007 dress that I have included here. The 2007 collection was titled "Sarabrande" and the Alexander McQueen website stated this of that collection:The inspiration is Handelís Sarabande of the title is a majestic and elegant dance - the portraits of Goya, the turn of the century exotic and socialite Marchesa Luisa Casati and garden flowers. As always, there is a melancholic undertone: faded flowers are trapped in chiffon and lace, ruffled skirts constructed out of tiers of delicate petals and prints are botanical brightly coloured birds and blooms, scattering swallows and winding stems of leaves. Show pieces include a dress made entirely out of frozen flowers. Tailoring is this time more fluid than it has been and clothing indebted to horsemanship is worn with finely worked, oversized pirate shirts. McQueen's idealisation of the feminine form continues with an exaggerated hour-glass silhouette.' So the dress is an original Alexander McQueen design but one that was executed after his death. The connection to Lee makes it very interesting and the dress is exceptionally beautiful.
The dress is stunning and even though it is meant to be a wedding dress I think that his work transcends any box assigned to it. As stunning a piece it would make for a bride it would also be spectacular for the events surrounding a wedding weekend or as a gala / event piece. The dress is very fitted through the bodice and waist with a fully built in corset whose boning acts as a secondary design element. You can just see it peaking though the lace over the bust and bodice and the curves and complex pattern iff the boning makes for an interesting detail in itself. The breasts are formed and cupped and and the skirt falls to about the knee, depending on your height, at the front. The sleeves are to the elbow and made from a single layer of that stunning lace. It is set to sit off the shoulder and the runway version in black really gives you an idea of fit. On the runway I think they added a hip peplum or tulle under the back and sides to create a more bustle effect. On this one the train falls in a more graceful and soft feeling down the sides and then down the back to slightly train behind you. If you loved the look of the runway it would be easy to have something made to support the fabric underneath and recreate that look. It is an incredible dress and though it does look pretty on my dress form it is no where near as gorgeous as it will be on an actual body. Excellent condition with one minor note below.
The bodice has a full complexly boned corset and cups and closes with a back hidden set zipper. The lace snaps into place over the top portion of the zipper and just above it. The skirt is fully lined in an ivory silk. This was never worn but there is a small yellowing spot on the back of the lace above the zipper that happened during storage. It is on the underside of the lace that snaps to close so once it is snapped into place the lace above it hides it completely. I have added three photos after the label shots to show this. The first is the mark on the lining, the second to show that it peaks out on the lace just slightly and the third shows it snapped close with the other side over it completely hiding the mark. The corset does have some stretch. Tagged a 42
Sleeves: 12.5"
Bust: approx 17.5" flat across from side seam to side seam with a B-C cup
Waist: 12-14" flat across from side seam to side seam
Seam at the bottom of the corset/top of the hips: 16-17.5"
Natural hips: open
Bodice: 19" from top of natural shoulder to bottom seam of the corset
Skirt: 38" from top of natural shoulder to front hem, 64" to the longest point of the back
Modern Sizing Equivalent: SML-MED
Item# DD3907
Reference Photos/Video: (1-3) Spring 2007 Alexander McQueen Runway. Look 20 worn by Camila Finn. / (4) Cate Blanchett in Black Lace Alexander McQueen at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards
This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.