Sean McGirr's Alexander McQueen: Reimagining Rebellion

Sean McGirr

Insights

Sean McGirr’s appointment as creative director at Alexander McQueen sparked skepticism—an outsider tasked with carrying a legacy built on darkness, beauty, and tension. His journey reflects both reverence for McQueen’s roots and a willingness to push forward.

• McGirr’s Debut: His first collection felt more like a recalibration than a revolution, opting for restraint over spectacle. Grounded in sharp tailoring and subtle nods to McQueen’s raw aesthetic, it offered a quieter, more intimate interpretation of the brand. However, critics were quick to respond, labelling the debut as unfocused, amateurish, and lacking the polish expected from a seasoned designer.

• Criticism and Growth: While his debut fell short of expectations, McGirr’s Summer 2025 collection struck a stronger balance between McQueen’s chaotic energy and his own minimalist influence. He channels the darker, ferocious energy of Lee McQueen’s early work while refining it for modern relevance.

• The Future of McQueen: McGirr’s evolution suggests he is poised to honour McQueen’s legacy while bringing a fresh sensibility to the brand. His ability to balance darkness with commercial viability could mark the beginning of an exciting new era for Alexander McQueen.

Despite early criticism, McGirr's work shows great promise, bringing the dark soul of McQueen back into focus while carving out his own place in fashion history.

When Sean McGirr was announced as Alexander McQueen's creative director, the news was met with cautious curiosity. The McQueen legacy is steeped in a mythic darkness—a beauty born of tension, violence, and vulnerability. It’s a legacy built on Lee McQueen's audacity and Sarah Burton's more romantic, yet equally poetic, interpretations.

The scepticism wasn't unwarranted. Burton had been McQueen's right hand, intrinsically familiar with his anarchic yet meticulously crafted spirit. McGirr, by contrast, represented an unknown outsider—a designer not from the McQueen inner circle and one without a public profile. This fresh perspective was both a point of excitement and contention. Could he breathe new life into the brand while respecting its heritage, or would he veer too far from its dark beating heart?

The Legacy

McGirr's journey to Alexander McQueen wasn’t the traditional path of a brand insider. Educated at Central Saint Martins—the training ground of many fashion greats, including McQueen himself—McGirr cut his teeth at revered houses like Dries Van Noten and JW Anderson. You could argue there’s little connective tissue between those houses and the world of McQueen, but McGirr’s work speaks to a broader philosophy. His previous work explored art-driven, avant-garde proportions, characterised by intelligent design that celebrated fabric, form, and innovation. These experiences seem to have shaped a designer finely attuned to the balance between restraint and expressiveness—core themes within McQueen’s own design codes. One could also point to the subversive elements seen in his work with JW Anderson, particularly in his exploration of deconstructed tailoring, craftsmanship, and the application of research and experimentation to each collection.

Considering these elements, it becomes clearer why Kering saw potential in McGirr as they searched for a new creative director. McGirr, while not the most obvious choice, demonstrates a clear understanding of McQueen’s design codes, though through a slightly different lens.

So, what exactly is Kering seeking in this new chapter for McQueen? Subversion with cross-generational appeal? Check. Pieces deeply rooted in exploration and research? Check. Modern tailoring that introduces fresh silhouettes, proportions, and deconstructionist elements? Absolutely. A designer who can create thought-provoking fashion that balances high-concept with commercial viability? McGirr seems to fit the bill.

His Debut

When Sean McGirr unveiled his debut collection for Alexander McQueen, the anticipation was palpable. It was neither a full-scale rebellion nor a homage to McQueen’s greatest hits. Instead, McGirr’s debut felt more like a quiet rumble—a recalibration rather than a revolution. It seemed to exist in a space that felt "caught between." The darkness of McQueen remained, but we also saw exaggerated proportions in the knitwear and armour-like acrylic dresses, paired with novelty horse-shoes complete with swishing tails and rubber-look boots—elements that veered into a confusing cosplay aesthetic. These elements echoed his time at JW Anderson and felt like two distinct worlds colliding.

In interviews, McGirr spoke about his aim to “strip back” the theatrics often linked with the McQueen brand. He wanted to tap into the emotional core of the house, rather than simply mimicking its most dramatic elements. His approach seemed focused on humanising McQueen—shifting away from spectacle toward something more intimate and wearable. Gone were Sarah Burton’s dark, romantic heroines, who seemed like folkloric woodland creatures wandering through the forests and glades of the UK. Instead, McGirr’s women felt grounded, firmly placed in the gritty streets of midnight London.

While McGirr’s collection didn’t overwhelm the senses in the way McQueen’s once did, it still carried echoes of the brand’s DNA. The craftsmanship, for one, was undeniable. Razor-sharp tailoring—an Alexander McQueen hallmark—anchored the collection, with meticulous attention to cut and construction. Textural contrasts also played a key role: slick leathers met delicate lace, while sheer fabrics added a layer of fragility to otherwise imposing silhouettes. In the finer details, there was a tension—an interplay of strength and vulnerability that nodded to McQueen’s legacy.

McGirr’s collection, however, lacked the visceral impact that has always been central to McQueen’s vision. The violence, raw emotion, and stark clash between beauty and brutality were only hinted at in fleeting moments. The standout detail—the smashed mirror and reflector embellishments—were beautiful and delicate but subtly referenced something darker.

Critics were swift, sharp, and merciless. You couldn’t help but feel for him—thrust into one of the most prestigious positions in fashion, only to be swiftly cut down. It’s hard to imagine the toll that kind of scrutiny must have taken, both professionally and personally.

Summer 2025

Then came Summer 2025, and with it, a stronger sense of McGirr’s vision. He had finally found the warp and weft of Alexander McQueen. It was here that we saw him truly engage with the spirit of the house, weaving in elements that harked back to the raw energy of Lee McQueen’s early years.

Beyond the clothes themselves, the collection was a masterclass in attitude and tension. The stark black palette, slashed with crimson and touched with metallics, recalled the macabre yet striking beauty that made McQueen an icon. The dark soul was palpable in the cobweb lace, the romantic allure of floating hand-teased feathered silk, and the layering of traditional tailoring with distressed fabrics—a clear nod to McQueen’s fixation on the balance between fragility and strength.

Alexander McQueen Summer 2025, Look 1

The cuts were immaculate, twisting and reworking historical Victoriana to infuse the chaos with a sense of control. McGirr’s take on classic tailoring pushed his models forward—shoulders pinched and raised—fortified but still pulsing with the energy of the city. Heavy 3D golden embroidery, armour inspired and militaristic in their application, provided a glimmer of light amidst the darkness. The final ‘banshee,’ dripping menacingly with tangled silver embellishments, felt entirely McQueen and seems destined for a red-carpet appearance early next year. It was a balancing act between the raw ferocity of McQueen’s early years and the refinement that Sarah Burton had cultivated.

Alexander McQueen Summer 2025, Look 40

Between Darkness and Light

Comparisons between McGirr and his predecessor are inevitable. Sarah Burton’s tenure was marked by a poetic sensibility; her McQueen was an exploration of beauty in darkness, where the macabre was softened into something elegiac. McGirr’s McQueen, however, edges closer to the brand's raw roots. It’s in this return to rawness that McGirr seems to channel the spirit of McQueen’s earlier years. His work carries a darker energy, not as spectacle but as a mood. The tailoring, severe yet nuanced, invokes the power dynamics McQueen was known for. At the same time, McGirr tempers these elements with contemporary minimalism, creating collections that feel sharply relevant to today’s fashion landscape.

Alexander McQueen Summer 2025, Look 46

There is a brutality in his approach—a stripping back of the overt romanticism in favour of something more visceral and grounded. One could argue that it revives the spirit of McQueen's earliest work, but it also begins to straddle the commercial realities of a brand like McQueen today.

The future remains uncertain, but McGirr’s trajectory suggests a designer who is both reverent of the past and willing to push forward. His work will undoubtedly continue to evolve as he grapples with the duality at the heart of McQueen: darkness and light, chaos and order, tradition and rebellion.

Time, and the boardroom, will ultimately judge Sean McGirr's tenure at Alexander McQueen. However, the Summer 2025 collection is incredibly promising. It reveals a designer finding his footing, daring to channel the dark energy of a young Lee McQueen while weaving in his own aesthetic influences.

It’s McQueen as we’ve always felt it. For me, it’s less Sarah Burton, and more Lee, but with a refined sensibility that ushers in a new era for the brand.

I’m excited to see what’s next.

-G