Alexander McQueen - Medieval Fashion Designs

Medieval Fashion Then into Today

High-end runway designs take inspiration from many parts of history, but medieval-inspired designs are like none other. Filled with the romantic and symbolic intrigue held in threads of fine silks and heavy velvets, luxurious fabrics from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance have made their mark on the modern fashion industry. An expression of wealth, power, and prestige, specialty fabrics incorporating a family coat of arms or religious motifs were immensely valuable. Silk and velvet were the highly valued textiles used in medieval clothing and adorning vestments. These fabrics would be made into skirt panels or sleeves, with stylized motifs that resembled anything from fruits to religious symbols. With the high production costs, it was reserved for high-ranking clergy, royalty, and the very wealthy. 

The quality of dyes and silhouettes also influence fashion today, as they denoted a person's wealth and status during the medieval period; now seen as an opulent luxury. Each color had a symbolic meaning for the time, such as black being used for monk's robes to show humility. Now, the color black has evolved to mean something much darker. Medieval fashion is characterized by the stereotype of dramatic silhouettes and voluminous shapes. Silhouettes were elongated and angular; flowing gowns with long trains, sleeves, and clinched waists were associated with women. Men's fashion favored tunics, capes, and doublets. Contemporary fashion designers pay homage to these characterizations, using exaggerated shapes and designs to evoke the regal opalescence of the attire, which makes it almost mystic and fantastical. 

Virgin and Child Surronded by Angels 

Alexander McQueen

Alexander Mcqueen is known for many things, his avent-guard yet sometimes controversial collections, his death, and his love for dark, historically inspired fashion. His collections inspired by medieval motifs, patterns, and events are some of his most known designs. His historical curiosity came from his mother, who was a teacher. Selective of what periods he decided to focus on, he often combined ideas from different times to create a re-imagined medieval experience. 

Joan (Autumn/Winter 1998) 

Joan (Autumn/Winter 1998) gathered inspiration from imagery depicting the persecution of French Catholic saint Joan of Arc being burned at the stake. The show invitation showed an image of Agnes from Fouquet's Melun Diptych, Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels, painted around 1452. The show used the colors in the painting as the pallet for the collection, along with models having a high, pale forehead with curled plaits. The use of molded leather and metal meshing that was to resemble chainail armor. There are also silver-plated armor pieces, as seen in the photo showing a model wearing plating that covered her head, shoulders, arms, and hands. 

Armored model 

The Final Collection (Sping/Summer 2010)

Models with head pieces 

Known as McQueens Final Collection after his death, the collection draws inspiration from Old Master paintings from the 13th century, textured of encrusted pearls, cabochon jewels and feathers, and a pallet of red, gold, black, and ivory. The color, movement, and form are used to invoke symbols of purity seen throughout medieval history: a sacrificial lamb, a lily, and the fleur-de-lis. The rich surface texture of the clothing resembles elaborate embroidery and metalwork common to the period. There are also allusions to panel paintings, gilded mosaics, and drawings. The models' heads were wrapped in tight garments, with some having crests of feathers, resembling the helms of medieval knights. 

Works cited

Bowles, Hamish. “Alexander McQueen: Noble Farewell.” Vogue, Vogue, 15 July 2010, www.vogue.com/article/alexander-mcqueen-noble-farewell.

Khimicheva, Elizaveta. “Alexander McQueen - Darkness and Dreams: Analysing Joan of Arc FW98.” GATA, GATA, 4 Jan. 2024, gatamagazine.com/articles/fashion/alexander-mcqueen-a-detailed-look-at-joan-of-arc-ss98.

Unknown. “McQueen, Fashion Designer: Medieval Mcqueen, the Final Collection.” McQueen, Fashion Designer: Medieval McQueen, The Final Collection, medievallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2013/09/mcqueen-fashion-designer-medieval.html. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Watt, Melinda. “Renaissance Velvet Textiles: Essay: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, 1 Jan. 2001, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/velv/hd_velv.htm#:~:text=Such%20fabrics%20were%20used%20in,religious%20vestments%2C%20and%20interior%20furnishings.