Alexander McQueen Fall 2013 Ready-To-Wear Collection

In this outfit, McQueen has taken inspiration from the Elizabethan Era of
fashion to complete the look. He has incorporated a ruff alongside a long,
corset style dress. The artists finished with a white and gold homage to the
Virgin Queen, which references both Elizabeth 1 and various religious
iconography. Decorated in lace, applique and chains, the intricacy of the
collection was an incredible feat. Volume was another important aspect in the
outfits and it was prominent on both the shoulders and hips, displaying the
Elizabethan fashion. Volume was also portrayed by mass amounts of feathers
creating movement and depth. The chain-like cages that were over the model’s
faces, as well as their thigh-high heels, balanced out the outfits creating a
congruity between all the looks. This outfit, alongside the whole collection,
developed new textiles and fabrics with intricate details, feathers and volume
properties. In particular, I liked the ruff because the white colour allows it to
stand out from the shoulder and face garments worn as well as it being a
traditional colour from the previous era. I also like how it highlights the neck
area, so it is the first thing that catches your attention when looking at the
outfit. It was made using the technique of pleating, maybe using fabrics such as
chiffon so it is not too thick and heavy to wear and can be sheer so multiple
layers were used for one section. There are beads and stitches that run
alongside the edges of the triangular pleats which add texture and make it
more visible for viewers to show where each pleat starts and ends. I would use
free-machine embroidery to connect each layer to another, so that there are
multiple, and allow each layer to be singularly seen so nothing is hidden and
they overlap slightly, to represent what ruffs were like in the 16 th century. If I
were to recreate a ruff like this style, I would add extra texture by using
different materials and create an ‘infinity loop’ style on the outside to
represent the ruffs in Elizabethan Era. However, I would add beading and
stitches, like in the photograph, to let the single ruffs stand out.