Possibly the most anticipated show of Spring 2011 Paris Fashion Week was Alexander McQueen, as it was their first womenswear show designed in the late Lee McQueen’s absence. It was all eyes on Sarah Burton, the new head designer, yet she somehow managed to deliver under the pressure. It couldn’t have been an easy to job to stick to the house trademarks of meticulous tailoring, dark influences and edgy, otherworldly designs, without simply regurgitating Lee Alexander’s previous designs…but the critics have weighed in and it looks like she pulled it off, all while adding her own flair.
“In an extraordinarily beautiful show, Burton succeeded in both being faithful to the late designer’s distinctive design ethos while taking the label into a new era.” -The Guardian 
“A tour-de-force that channeled McQueen’s darkly surreal style, remodeling his signature elements into strange and beautiful confections that managed to be at the same time new and reassuringly familiar.” -Associated Press
“A show laden with emotion that was made even more remarkable because of how right she got it.” – Vogue.com UK
“Inspired, this time, by the anatomy of the woman who chooses to wear it and by the flora and fauna of the natural world, it was both technically and artistically perfect.” -The Independent
“Sarah Burton … revived the late designer’s challenging legacy with a brilliant first collection imbued with a pagan, bohemian spirit and featuring spectacular hand-crafted detail.” -The Daily Telegraph
Photos by Sonny Vandevelde via A Shaded View on Fashion
Rie Rasmussen and Jamel Debbouze in 
