PARIS, Mar 7, 2005/ FW/ --- The lure of Hollywood is a big one for fashion, wherein houses big and small pay homage to the silver screen in one form or another.

Alexander McQueen followed suit, yet unlike his contemporaries wherein the red carpet was the most chosen theme, he opted for drama and genre, choosing Alfred Hitchcock heroines as the femme fatales on the runway.

And like Alfred Hitchcock, who is considered a master of suspense and the supreme leader of the thriller movie genre, Alexander McQueen held everyone’s breath as he took everyone for an exciting ride to rival the English filmmaker’s brilliance in deftly blending sex, suspense and humor in his work.

Hitchcock whose film career spanned from 1919 to 1976 opened a very eclectic reference for the collection. And it is McQueen’s mastery of sartorial techniques that held the show together and made everything gelled to make one statement.

From the Kim Novak inspired gray coat to the femme fatale ruche green cocktail dress, onward to cape jackets and hobble skirts, McQueen added cowl neckline knits, pompoms and kimono-inspired wraps with fringes to give the collection a very contemporary feel.

The horn-rimmed eyeglasses and beehive hairdos were interspersed with bed-head styling and dramatic eye make-up, once again pulling everything together without faltering or missing a beat.

Alexander McQueen has always been a theatrical master and it his genius both as a designer and stage manager that showed through in this collection.

And like most of the designers this season who made the “clothes do the talking,” McQueen gave a nod to that trend with a zeitgeist that transcended decades like Alfred Hitchcock did with films.

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen