Ensemble
Sarah Burton · spring/summer 2011
Sarah Burton
- Handcrafted eveningwear
- Textural embellishment
Sarah Burton became Alexander McQueen’s creative director in 2010 after fourteen years working with the founder. Her first collection drew on nature, paganism and English folklore.
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Ensemble
spring/summer 2011
Sarah Burton used hundreds of hand-applied feathers to imitate monarch butterfly wings for her first collection at Alexander McQueen. The hourglass silhouette needs neither boning nor an internal support. Nature, English folklore and paganism informed the collection, while the butterfly carried the house’s longstanding theme of transformation into Burton’s own design language.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Ensemble
spring/summer 2012
This spring/summer 2012 ensemble is credited to Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Its fitted upper body gives way to a densely layered skirt and trailing hem, creating an elaborate textured silhouette. The museum lists silk, metal, glass, synthetic fiber and leather across its components, demonstrating how a complete runway ensemble can unite textiles, embellishment and accessories.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Dress
fall/winter 2021–22
Sarah Burton’s Alexander McQueen dress from fall/winter 2021–22 sets a dramatically enlarged shoulder against a fitted waist and full skirt. Its red-and-pale printed surface reinforces the garment’s sweeping outline. The museum identifies the material as polyester, showing that a visually elaborate contemporary dress need not rely on the silks associated with historical couture.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Collection selection
Oceans
2011 · V&A collection
silk, organza, glass beading.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Dress
2016 · V&A collection
Brocaded, synthetic textile with silk brocade.
©Victoria & Albert Museum, LondonCollections & archive pieces
3 collections represented · 3 piecesspring/summer 2011
1 piece
spring/summer 2012
1 piece
Ensemble
Sarah Burton · spring/summer 2012
fall/winter 2021–22
1 piece
Dress
Sarah Burton · fall/winter 2021–22
About Sarah Burton
The feather butterflies in this archive show extraordinary handwork, while later dresses demonstrate continued attention to texture and volume. These objects are credited to Burton for the house, distinct from designs by McQueen himself.