Alexander McQueen

The super busy Alexander McQueen recently took some time out to shed a little light on his forthcoming Target collection which hits stores on the 4th of March, and this is what he had to say on the upcoming collabo. Here are some excerpts from The Cut interview:

Cut: How did you approach designing the Target collection differently from your McQ line?
Alexander McQueen: Well it is actually not so far away from how I design the McQ collection; I started with a feeling, a girl and her spirit, and ran with it. There are elements which are naturally "me" which stayed the same, the design details and the edge, for example.

Cut: What was the greatest challenge of designing this collection?
AM: Obviously we worked using different fabrics than we would usually use; but I don’t think it was a compromise — it was more using fabrics which suited the designs. But this was definitely a new way of designing and producing for us.

Usually the fabric treatments can be costly processes, so we worked a bit differently. It was more the fact that we used zips on knitwear and cotton binding on a silk dress. It’s like combining the rough with the smooth, in a way, but we used details to toughen up the softer pieces in the collection.

Cut: Would you say the fashion world has come to terms with designers doing lower-priced lines?
AM: Absolutely! I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern — wearing head-to-toe designer has become a bit passé.
It’s a new era in fashion — there are no rules. It’s all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together.

Cut: What concerns did you have going into the project?
AM: I didn’t have many concerns; I believe that if you maintain your high line quality and overall aesthetic, as I did with Target, a partnership like this is actually quite brilliant for a designer.

The super busy Alexander McQueen recently took some time out to shed a little light on his forthcoming Target collection which hits stores on the 4th of March, and this is what he had to say on the upcoming collabo. Here are some excerpts from The Cut interview:

Cut: How did you approach designing the Target collection differently from your McQ line?
Alexander McQueen: Well it is actually not so far away from how I design the McQ collection; I started with a feeling, a girl and her spirit, and ran with it. There are elements which are naturally "me" which stayed the same, the design details and the edge, for example.

Cut: What was the greatest challenge of designing this collection?
AM: Obviously we worked using different fabrics than we would usually use; but I don’t think it was a compromise — it was more using fabrics which suited the designs. But this was definitely a new way of designing and producing for us.

Usually the fabric treatments can be costly processes, so we worked a bit differently. It was more the fact that we used zips on knitwear and cotton binding on a silk dress. It’s like combining the rough with the smooth, in a way, but we used details to toughen up the softer pieces in the collection.

Cut: Would you say the fashion world has come to terms with designers doing lower-priced lines?
AM: Absolutely! I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern — wearing head-to-toe designer has become a bit passé.
It’s a new era in fashion — there are no rules. It’s all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together.

Cut: What concerns did you have going into the project?
AM: I didn’t have many concerns; I believe that if you maintain your high line quality and overall aesthetic, as I did with Target, a partnership like this is actually quite brilliant for a designer.

Alexander McQueen who is no stranger to footwear will be launching an apparel line for Puma. The line which will carry t-shirts, jackets and yes...sneakers will launch on Tuesday in Milan and is inspired by boxing. The tees will start from $72 and jackets for $790. Those prices may have me running from their store faster than a Puma!

Look like a new muse in the form of lead singer of punk rock band, The Duke Spirit, Leila Moss(who happens to look kinda like Kate Moss, a healthier looking Kate Moss that is) is gonna become a familiar name in fashion circles this year. Alexander McQueen has drawn inspiration from the lass for his target line and Savannah and Sienna have used for their A/W ‘09 collection. In a recent interview she revealed how she felt about her muse status and blah blah blah, here's an excerpt:

How does it feel to be a muse for Twenty8Twelve and also Alexander McQueen?

It's a weird complement. On the one hand it's strange and totally out of the blue, but on the other hand it's great that people have come to see us play and enjoyed the clothes that I wear on stage and have been inspired by them. Over four years of touring, I've found that the clothes are almost a performance in themselves - lit up and moving, it's easy to understand how designers find inspiration there. The clothes almost have an inherited power by just being on stage.

Does fashion play a major part when you're performing with The Duke Spirit?

It has become important. When we first started out I was really conscious of just keeping the gang like spirit with the rest of the band so I was a real tomboy. I didn't push my interest in fashion. But over time I've picked up some amazing things and got a bit bored of my initial image and wanted to explore. It's been really refreshing to do so and also reinvigorates my performance. Picking out strident pieces is just really empowering and can change how you move around during a gig.

How would you describe your personal style?

It's like a split personality. I love simple, really elegant shapes and keeping things plain and un-fussy. But I like to take these and screw them up a bit - finding random bits and bobs and accessories and transforming the look. I like my clothes to be tactile and adding a tiny bit of danger and humour to normal clothes. Doing a bit of DIY with clothing is great, I wish I had more time to do it, but, I recently bought a metre of amazing gold rope from a haberdashery near to my house and turned it into a demonic half nautical/half noose style necklace which reflected the element of the sea in our album Neptune, it made you look again at someone's outfit like: ‘What is that?'

Do you have any style icons?

Again, like my personal style, it's a split personality. I love the simplicity and the confidence and conviction Patti Smith has in her eyes, the cover of her album Horses where she's got a jacket slung over her shoulder just sums it up. But then I also admire the flamboyance and fun behind Bjork and Grace Jones' outfits. My style oscillates between these two extremes.

Have you met Savannah and Sienna to talk through the collection?

We've not met up yet but are planning to soon. Their team came to see us perform and then cut out loads of pictures and cuts outs of me to create a mood board, which feels kind of weird! They must've admired the music too, as I've created some lyrics for them to print onto the lining fabric of their clothes - it makes each item even more special. I'll definitely be there for Twenty8Twelve's first catwalk show at fashion week.

Look out for more stories on Leila Moss(i wonder if she and Kate are related).

Alexander McQueen recently told WWD in an interview that "apart from the East and West Coasts, my company doesn’t have any visibility in the U.S.," he said. "I always liked the idea of people in the Midwest wearing my clothes. The idea of this upstart from London going where people haven’t heard of me, I think that was interesting to me. I think it’s quite adventurous of Target." he added. Alexander is obviously about growth, and his willingness to reach out to other areas by keeping cost affordable will serve him and his career well in the future. On a downside, McQueen said his Target line would be his only diffusion line for Target or a similar retailer. "I don’t like to repeat myself … If I do it all the time, it dilutes the concept," he says.