Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/86796
From shop to shoe, Sarah Burton's new direction for Alexander McQueen ushers in an era of romance without dulling its edge. femme fatale Alexander McQueen. In February 2010, she had to absorb the shock of the untimely passing of the house founder (and her mentor), Lee Alexander McQueen; face rampant industry guesswork over his successor; and then, when she was appointed creative director three months later, produce a collection under a cloud of mourning and intense media scrutiny. Her results in that first showing in October 2010, and with each C The Horseshoe sandal from the Fall/Winter 2012 runway collection. one since, have been brilliant. Burton has produced feminine, delicate, fantastical clothes that are more hopeful than angry, more triumphant than dark. It' s a subtle turn, and a highly successful one. Maintaining the house's deft tailoring, detailed craftsmanship and sculptural silhouettes, Burton has held on to celebrity fans like Kate Moss, Florence Welch and Cate Blanchett, and added even higher-profile new ones, like Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton. Her wedding dress for the Duchess of Cambridge earned her worldwide acclaim and a membership in the Order of the British Empire for a distinguished contribution to the British fashion industry. And now, with the Fall 2012 collection arriving in stores that have themselves just unveiled a makeover, we can see that Burton is exploring new territory. Most significantly—because nothing signals a commitment to change like a remodel—Burton and the interior designer David Collins have overhauled the look of McQueen's boutiques. The first redesigned shop debuted in June in Bal Harbour; next comes China, and, by 2013, the transformation will be complete with the BY ALEXANDRA MARSHALL hange at the top is never easy in fashion. Even the smallest adjustment—like Hedi Slimane's new retooling of Yves Saint Laurent into Saint Laurent Paris—can cause a controversial ripple in the force. So imagine the transitional challenge faced by Sarah Burton at 42 BAL HARBOUR