In true McQueen fashion, an outstanding runway show unfolded on Saturday—one embedded in dandyism but for the contemporary era. Inspired by the aesthetics of Oscar Wilde, Vesta Tilley, and Romaine Brooks, the house’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection melted Victorian gothic influences with modern irreverence, conceiving a spectacle of storytelling married with impeccable design. 

Courtesy of McQueen

The runway, a study in contrasts, exposed through fluid silks and textured lace, met acute, structured tailoring. Lean, angular silhouettes subverted British traditions with tall book-pleated collars and pinched Victorian shoulders. Gold bullion-embroidered cloaks and crystalline masks shimmered under dim lights, heightening the tension that ignited the room with concealment and performance. The accessories – Philip Tracey’s sculpted hats, obscured and theatrical – completed the arresting vision. 

Courtesy of McQueen

Fabric choices solidified the interplay of traditional and contemporary nods. Double-faced wool cashmere and cavalry twill wool in deep black grounded the collection in heritage, while silk georgette in fuchsia, lilac, and green injected hallucinatory color. The show began with all-black garments and slowly unraveled into a parade of bold, seductive tones. 

Courtesy of McQueen

Chantilly lace, glass bead-coated tights, and leather and shearling pieces in bold hues interlaced familiarity and rarefaction. Sheer garments and ruffles appeared on the runway, inviting a sense of McQueen’s edge interlaced with ribbons of Victorian tradition. One of the more stand-out elements in many of the collection’s pieces was notably high necklines that engulfed the jawline of the models. 

Courtesy of McQueen

The collection’s artistry was most evident in its embellishments. A crystal ribcage, formed from bullion and metal mesh, transformed the garments into relics. The accessories were equally compelling—the Farringdon bag, with McQueen harness detailing, and the Drop bag, a sculptural sphere covered with crystal mirror embroidery. 

Courtesy of McQueen

Ultimately, the collection unraveled and rewrote the codes of dandyism, presenting a vision of delicacy that was as poetic as it was provocative.