Alexander McQueen Women's Autumn/Winter 2012

Beautiful future. The soft bed of the forest floor by day and night. The domed caps and rippling underbellies of mushrooms and other fungi. Light and shade, power and protection, hyper-femininity and strength.
The silhouette becomes increasingly three-dimensional and overblown as the collection progresses. Shape, texture, print and embellishment explode, initially from the waist and finally from the neck down. Feathers, furs and silver dandelion and enamel blossom embroideries float on textured surfaces. Funnel necks, Mongolian lamb collars, trapeze lines, cape-backs and bell-shaped, rolled skirts dominate. Pale silk and mohair jacquards appliquéd with felt flowers give way to black and white laser-cut pony-skin over leather and hand-massaged printed, degradé silks and ruffled organzas. Hammered metal harnessing introduces a hard edge. Mink and leather ankle boots are finished with curved metal ‘horse shoes’.