“In a brand with the legacy of McQueen, it takes a while to learn the codes. In each collection so far, I’ve done something slightly different in order to understand certain periods of his work. Now, with this one, I want to go to the next level.”

Seán McGirr is in the middle of fittings at the McQueen studio in Clerkenwell, getting ready for tomorrow night. That’s when he’ll make his attempt to go beyond everything he has absorbed about McQueen in nearly three years at the house.

The convergence we’ll see in the collection also coincides with a major geographical shift for McQueen. Tomorrow’s show will be its first on the London Fashion Week schedule since February 2001. That’s not to say McQueen has been completely absent from its hometown since then—under Sarah Burton, there were some great menswear shows at the sadly now-defunct London Collections: Men, followed by two off-schedule spring shows in spring 2022 and 2023.

Up close with some of spring 2027’s embellishments
Photo: Bettina Pittaluga/ Courtesy of McQueen

But tomorrow’s return means a great deal both to London Fashion Week—which is always dedicated to championing the British capital as a key incubator of creativity—and to McQueen and McGirr. “It felt like the right moment, and everything aligned,” says the designer, adding: “London is about being free.”

Showing here also gives McGirr a much more authentic platform from which to present his new synthesis of everything he has learned about the McQueen aesthetic and his own design identity—because both were formed in London. McGirr first arrived in the city from Ireland at 17. “I found my people here,” he says: “a bunch of weirdos at Saint Martin’s.” His first home was on a council estate around Haggerston; later, while studying, he spent three years in a derelict former old people’s home in Camden, where he carved out space for a sewing studio. By day he became a regular at London’s museums and galleries, and by night at its clubs and raves. At the National Gallery, one work in particular became an obsession: Piero della Francesca’s The Baptism of Christ. “I would go to the National Gallery and just stare at this painting for ages,” he says.

This collection will reconnect McGirr with some of those formative London influences while also bringing McQueen back into the orbit of some of its first-generation collaborators. One of them is the jeweler and sculptor Shaun Leane, one of Alexander McQueen’s closest creative collaborators, who has contributed to tomorrow’s show.

In McQueen’s Clerkenwell studios
Photo: Bettina Pittaluga/ Courtesy of McQueen

During our preview, McGirr shows me a silver hourglass dress whose jacquard surface is overlaid with drifts of metallic foliage, its alloy leaves dipped in paint to shift between tones. A section of organza adds lightness to the base of a look that is almost armor-like in its fierceness above. “It’s a really quintessential McQueen silhouette,” he says, placing its Hitchcock proportions in the house’s late-2000s period, then adds: “I love this idea of embroidery on top of things that are already decorative. Everything really needs to have energy. I don’t want anything to feel too solid or static.”

To be static would go against the spirit of McQueen, whose founder observed in 2010: “You can’t keep rehashing the same concepts of the good, the bad, and the ugly.” McGirr’s instinct is aligned. “You can’t go back. You have to move forward,” he says. “He was the first one to chop everything up and move forward. You have to have the same thinking.” Embracing the freedom and fearlessness that thinking demands is the key to carrying the essence of McQueen forward: tomorrow night, back in London, Seán McGirr will put that into practice.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of frequently asked questions about Seán McGirrs debut and the London Is About Being Free theme for Alexander McQueen

Beginner Questions

What does London Is About Being Free mean in this context
It is the creative theme Seán McGirr chose for his first show as creative director It refers to the feeling of creative freedom individuality and rebellious energy that the city of London represents to him and the brand

Who is Seán McGirr
He is the Irish fashion designer who became the Creative Director of Alexander McQueen in late 2023 He was previously known for his work at JW Anderson Dries Van Noten and Uniqlo

What is a Homecoming show
For Alexander McQueen a homecoming means returning to London to show the collection While the brand is owned by a French luxury group its roots and identity are deeply tied to London where Lee Alexander McQueen founded the label

When and where did this show take place
The show took place on March 2 2024 during London Fashion Week It was held at the Barbican Centre a famous arts venue in London

Did Seán McGirr design this collection by himself
Yes This was his first collection as the head of the brand so he was fully responsible for the creative direction and design of the clothes

Intermediate Questions

What are the main benefits of this homecoming for the brand
It reconnects the brand with its original London identity It also creates a lot of buzz and excitement showing that the new designer respects the past while bringing a fresh modern energy to the label

What are some common problems or challenges with a debut show like this
The biggest challenge is the pressure to honor the legacy of the founder Lee Alexander McQueen while also proving that the new designer has his own unique voice Fans and critics have very high expectations

What were the key themes in the collection
The collection focused on sharp tailoring oversized silhouettes and a mix of tough and soft elements There were also references to the brands iconic bumster trousers and a focus on the London street style

How did the show reflect the freedom theme
The clothes were designed to