By: Valentina Toro
Managing Editor
Alexander McQueen is back in London, which is where the fashion house belongs.
After 25 years away from the official London Fashion Week schedule, McQueen returned this September to present its Spring 2027 collection. Creative director Seán McGirr brought the British fashion house back to the city where its story began, and the decision feels like the right direction for the brand.
McQueen has spent years showing in Paris, one of the biggest fashion capitals in the world. But there is something different about seeing the brand back in London. So much of what made Alexander McQueen what it is today started there.
Lee Alexander McQueen was born in London and studied fashion at Central Saint Martins. Before creating his own label, he trained on Savile Row, an area known for traditional British tailoring. He eventually became known for doing almost the opposite of what people expected from traditional fashion.
His shows were dark, dramatic and sometimes controversial. He was never afraid to make people uncomfortable or turn a runway into something bigger than models wearing clothes. That rebellious side of McQueen has always felt very London to me.
McGirr seemed to understand that with this collection. Instead of simply bringing the show back to London, he brought parts of the city into the clothes. The collection mixed British tailoring with references to London rave culture while keeping the darker feeling people expect from McQueen.
Some looks were structured and sharp, while others included leather, corsets and dramatic silhouettes. McGirr also worked with Huntsman, the Savile Row tailor that Lee McQueen previously worked with.
Those references to the past were important, but I do not believe McGirr should try to recreate what Lee McQueen already did.
Since becoming creative director in 2023, McGirr has stepped into a difficult position. Alexander McQueen is one of those fashion houses where the founder’s influence is still everywhere. Any designer who takes over will automatically have their work compared to his.
But McQueen cannot survive by trying to recreate collections from 20 or 30 years ago.
Fashion changes, and the house has to change with it. McGirr should be able to create his own version of McQueen while still respecting what made the brand different in the first place. This collection felt closer to finding that balance.
Bringing McQueen back is also a big moment for London Fashion Week. Having one of Britain’s most famous fashion houses return brings more attention to London and reminds people of the influence the city continues to have on fashion.
The return did not feel like it was only about nostalgia. McQueen’s history was present, but the collection still focused on what the brand can become under McGirr.
McQueen spent 25 years away from the official London Fashion Week schedule, but its identity never really left the city.
Paris gave the fashion house an international stage, but London gave McQueen its personality. Sometimes going forward means going back to where everything started.
