October 12, 2009 Live and in living colour: Alexander McQueen shows spring/summer 2010 collection on the Internet Edit Delete Tags Autopost When I heard British designer, Alexander McQueen was streaming his spring/summer 2010 collection, Plato’s Atlantis live on the Internet during Paris fashion week my eyes opened wide in shock and delight. McQueen is known for his elaborate and highly conceptual runway shows and having the chance to see his newest collection (at the same time as everyone else) was an opportunity not to be missed. I saw the show... four hours later after spotty Internet connection during the live cast forced me to quit in frustration. Reviews quickly poured in referencing the collection to literary and scientific works of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, as per McQueen’s show notes (Los Angeles Times). Yet, what surprised me about these references was that the show was titled and advertised as Plato’s Atlantis. According to Plato: “Atlantis was a great island... Its powerful and remarkable dynasty of kings arose directly from Poseidon, god of sea and of earthquakes, though this divine and heroic lineage gradually became diluted by mixing with mortal stock. The resulting degeneration of this noble civilization led it into a war... and culminated in its cataclysmic destruction...” (Echoes of Plato's Atlantis by Dr. Iain Stewart, BBC). The collection McQueen presented was a visual and metaphorical representation of the city of Atlantis, its people and civilization. The opening garments had an organic feel that mixed earthy colours and patterns. Using digital techniques, the likeness of amphibians, insects and reptiles were imprinted onto fabrics creating one-of-a-kind dresses, skirts and jackets. Hair and makeup on the models mimicked the mixed heritage of the Athenian people, descendants from the god Poseidon. Tresses were braided into coils or styled into large horns that stood tall. Makeup artists created prosthetic gills on the models’ temples and enhanced their bone structure morphing them into mysterious creatures of the deep. As the collection progressed it went from organic and natural to futuristic and mechanical. Clothing lost it animalistic graphics and became more complex and armour-like. The mood of McQueen’s collection also reflected this by becoming darker, sombre, more restrictive and more structured most particularly in the cut of the jackets. My immediate reaction to the footwear was mixed – I was in awe at its construction and McQueen’s brilliance in developing something totally unique. Yet at the same time I couldn’t help but feel grotesque astonishment. Strutting on a 21 cm (8 inch) heel/platform, the shoes were "based on the visualization of a ballerina standing en pointe, even though models stood in a normal position" (WWD.com). McQueen closed his show with a stunning silver garment that was textured head to toe in fish scales giving off an iridescent armour-like appearance. Seeing McQueen’s collection online broke a lot of new ground using the Internet to bring fashion unedited and to a wider audience. However, I can’t help but feel that watching this show in person would trump any online experience. Video from Telegraph.co.uk. Images from Obsessedwithshoes.com. Information from BBC and WWD.
