Opened by Naomi Campbell in a form-fitting corset jumpsuit, the tone was set for a collection that articulated the codes underpinning Alexander McQueen since 1992. Titled Anatomy, FW23 focused on the foundations of fashion, dissecting the form of the body from within and translating its desires into a series of impeccably crafted silhouettes. 

Exploring the whimsically dark imagination at the centre of McQueen’s design vocabulary, an exquisite show of tailoring marched down the runway, classic white shirts and black ties melted into tailored strapless dresses and pinstripes folded into upside-down lapels. A controlled tension between strictness and play was mirrored in the fabrics and form as leather worked in conjunction with cashmere, and strong angular shoulders were met by delicately narrowed waistlines. Sarah Burton described the collection as: “Human anatomy, the anatomy of clothing, the anatomy of flowers. An exploration of beauty and power through tailoring and tailoring fabrics and a focus on cut, proportion and silhouette.” 

Echoes of anatomical Renaissance paintings could be felt as garments were dissected: layers of knitwear were peeled back and fabric was slashed at the hips, twisted into new territories. References to the artistic period were transformed into asymmetric frills and fiery red motifs of giant orchids which could have easily been mistaken for something a touch more macabre.