Just two-and-half years after presenting his first collection, creative director Seán McGirr is parting ways with Alexander McQueen. A statement promises that “new creative leadership” will be unveiled soon.
“I would like to thank Seán for his contribution and dedication to Alexander McQueen,” said Luca de Meo, the CEO of McQueen’s parent company Kering in a statement. “Our ambition is to establish a bold new direction for the House, building on its unique heritage of exceptional tailoring, uncompromising creativity and rebellion to reaffirm its position as one of the most innovative and culturally relevant voices in luxury.”
The 38-year-old Irish designer joined McQueen in 2023 after serving as the head of ready-to-wear for JW Anderson. Continuing the legacy of Alexander “Lee” McQueen himself is the dream of many young designers, but it was always going to be a difficult task.
McGirr replaced Sarah Burton, who was McQueen’s right-hand woman. She had shepherded the house since McQueen’s death in 2010. Her work was widely respected by the industry (indeed, shortly after her departure she was picked to lead Givenchy). Still, McQueen had lost some of its design and cultural bite, and the business had become overly reliant on one very, very popular sneaker line. Arguably, those sneakers have become a mainstay for a customer base that might otherwise find themselves put off by the house’s unapologetically punky, aggressive, and queer legacy.
Based on what he put on the runway, McGirr was giving ample room to channel McQueen’s rebellion and experimentation. Throughout his collections, he sent out models in devil horn-spiked wigs, sculptural plexiglass dresses, BDSM collars, bumster jeans, and shredded lace. Alas, his collection didn’t seem to catch on with either professional critics, social media commentators, or buyers.
McQueen’s legacy, however, remains as popular as ever. Anytime a major celebratory pulls a vintage piece from his wardrobe, the fashion media covers it without fail. Matières Fécales’s recent “99%” show was one of the most talked-about at Paris Fashion Week, even if many designs seemed almost like copy-and-pastes from the McQueen archives. In London, designer Dilara Findikoglu has won over fans while openly acknowledging McQueen as an inspiration for her own label.
It seems that McQueen’s legacy was working for just about everyone except the actual house of McQueen.