What do you talk about in a time when there is so much noise? For Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, the answer for the house's Autumn/Winter 2020-21 ready-to-wear collection lay in clothes that mean something. "I wanted this collection to be really grounded, bold, and heroic," she says.
The collection took its cues from Wales. "We went to Wales and were inspired by the warmth of its artistic and poetic heritage," Burton explains, channelling that warmth into pieces that feel rooted rather than fleeting.
Running through the collection is a motif of the heart. "The hearts are a symbol of togetherness, of being there for others," she says, a quiet statement of solidarity stitched into the season.
That sense of care extends to the materials themselves. "There is a sense of protection in the clothes, of safety and comfort, evoked through quilting and blankets," Burton notes, a reminder that, amid the noise, McQueen's answer is one of reassurance.
