Alexander McQueen

Alexander with some prestigious arm candy -Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss in 2004

In light of the tragedy tht ocurred several weeks ago, I decided to actually look at Alexander McQueen's last collection. It is quite fantastic.
Alexander McQueen's final, unfinished collection garnered rave reviews after being unveiled in Paris, fashion editors saying Wednesday that the collection's medieval, otherworldy look reminded the industry of what they had lost. The 16-piece Autumn/Winter collection was shown to a select group of industry writers in Paris, the same day the British designer, who hanged himself in his London apartment on February 11, would have held his Paris Fashion Week runway show had he still been alive. The looks had a medieval, religious feel to them, with a recurring theme of angels and demons. The outfits were heavily inspired by Old Master paintings, entire works of art by Botticelli, Jean Fouquet and Hans Memling were photographed and woven into jacquards, imprinted on silks, or embroidered onto garments. Each piece is so incredibly and meticulously ornate and beautifully crafted, a real sense of antique finery. I love the crafted folds of the fabric, gilded accessories and shoes, and the full length pieces make me giddy. So decadent. The decision to cover the models' hair added to rooting the looks in the contemporary, almost a futuristic return to decadence, while also recalling those little caps women of the medieval period would wear. The Guardian's Jess Cartner-Morley, who described the collection as "spectacular" said there was an audible intake of breath when the first model came into the room. The designer's spirit was reflected in the fierce black boots with gold angels sculpted into the heels - I would kill for those gorgeous shoes. The showing was an emphatic demonstration of the intense skill and artistry of McQueen, but all the more tragic for being such a brief and poignant reminder of what the fashion world has lost.

View a slideshow of McQueen's last collection here.