PARIS, Oct 5, 2007 / FW / --- Isabella Blow died on may 8 this year, after having committed suicide in her home in Gloucestershire, at the age of 48, only six months ago. To who doesn’t know her, saying that she was a talent discoverer in fashion is far from explaining everything about Mrs. Blow; asserting that she was a fashion icon is also restrictive… Of course, Isabella Blow is famous also for having discovered, helped an supported very thoroughly Alexander McQueen and Stephen Jones. This is probably why the two designers have allied for this runway show, on the first fashion week possible occasion, to pay tribute to their late friend, supporter, mentor and muse…

Although McQueen and Jones do regularly work together, they took their bow in concert this season, after the most splendid collection, which was the best possible tribute to Mrs. Blow. In fact, Alexander McQueen has revisited his historical silhouettes from his past work, and this really makes it a landmark collection for his career, especially as he has also gone far beyond the retrospective aspect.

The presentation felt like an edition of the best of the best of McQueen’s work, only revisited, made lighter, more essential, more contemporary. It is difficult to decide whether the tailoring work on suits was more outstanding than the proposals on eveningwear or the design of delightful accessories.

Exit after exit, the two British designers have proposed one standout look after the other. The work by Alexander McQueen on Prince of Wales checkered suits for instance is not only in his tradition of reasonably pointed hips in the jackets and wonderful corset belts, it’s also transcending Saville Row’s techniques of tailoring, reinterpreting them with a very delicate precision, making each silhouette, often topped by the outstanding hats created by Stephen Jones, a wonder of elegance, style and modernity.

Hitchockian suits, kimono dresses, Art Nouveau inspired prints on exquisite shirts, silk dresses that seem as light as air but with very crispy colours or feather prints and appliqués climaxed in the dramatically beautiful feather embellished evening dresses.

The best of all was probably the phenix dress: the feathers in a glorious rendering of flying wings are appliquéed on the bust in a very architectured baby blue dress. It is a very powerful symbol with the phenix theme. Mrs. Blow’s influence has not finished to inspire and give birth to wonderful collections.

This one was a command performance, packed with thrilling fashion and contemporary pertinence.

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen