The Girl Who Lived in the Tree is the thirty-second collection by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, made for the Autumn/Winter 2008 season of his eponymous fashion house. The primary inspirations were British culture and national symbols, particularly the British monarchy, as well as the clothing of India during the British Raj. The collection was presented as a fairy tale about a feral girl who lived in a tree before falling in love with a prince and descending to earth to become a princess, and the runway show was divided into two phases to represent this narrative. In the first phase, the ensembles were all in black and white, with most looks having a slim, tailored silhouette. The clothing from the second half was richly coloured, with luxurious materials and embellishments, representing the girl's transformation into a princess.

The runway show was staged on 28 February 2008 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris. The round stage was dressed in black with a black backdrop, with an enormous artificial tree in the centre wrapped in dark grey silk; it was inspired by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who were known for wrapping buildings and landmarks in fabric. Forty-two looks were presented across the two phases. The most significant items presented included a peacock headpiece by Philip Treacy, and a dress with lace peacocks.

Critical response to The Girl Who Lived in the Tree was positive, and in retrospect it is regarded as one of McQueen's best collections. Its inspiration and styling have been analysed by academics. Ensembles from the collection are held by various museums and have appeared in exhibitions such as the McQueen retrospective Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. The 2015 semi-biographical play McQueen incorporates ideas from the collection's narrative.

Background

British designer Alexander McQueen was known in the fashion industry for his imaginative, sometimes controversial designs, and dramatic fashion shows. ^[1] He began his career in fashion as an apprentice on Savile Row, which earned him a reputation as an expert tailor. ^[1] He briefly worked at theatrical costume supplier Berman's & Nathan's in 1989. ^[2] In 1990, McQueen enrolled in the master's-level course in fashion design at Central Saint Martins (CSM), a London art school, where he was mentored by course founder Bobby Hillson. ^{[3] [4] [5]} He graduated with his master's degree in fashion design in 1992. ^[6]

McQueen's graduation collection, Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims, was bought in its entirety by magazine editor Isabella Blow, who became another mentor and his muse. ^[6] Their relationship was turbulent, and they were estranged when Blow committed suicide in May 2007. ^{[7] [8] [9]} McQueen was devastated. For his next collection, McQueen worked closely with Irish milliner Philip Treacy, another of Blow's protégés and one of his longtime collaborators. The collection, La Dame Bleue (Spring/Summer 2008), was dedicated to her memory. ^{[7] [10]} Afterward, he travelled to India for a month with his friend and collaborator Shaun Leane. He later described the trip as a "pilgrimage" during which he had worked through his grief by absorbing Buddhist spiritual teachings and culture. ^{[11] [12]}

McQueen was devoted to his Scottish heritage, but also felt a strong connection to England, especially London, where he had grown up. ^[13] He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003. ^[14] Although he had previously been vocally critical of the British monarchy, and was reluctant to accept the award, he later said that meeting the queen had been "like falling in love". ^{[15] [16]}

Concept and collection

Formal portrait of the young Queen Elizabeth II, 1959

Woman in red sari and gold jewellery

Peacock flaring his feathers

Jutti, embellished slippers similar to ballet flats

The Girl Who Lived in the Tree (Autumn/Winter 2008) is the thirty-second collection McQueen made for his eponymous fashion house. It was presented as a fairy tale about a feral girl who lived in a tree before falling in love with a prince and descending to earth to become a princess. ^{[7] [17]} According to McQueen, this narrative was inspired by an ancient elm tree in the garden of his country home in Farleigh, England, and the girl represented Queen Elizabeth II as a young woman. ^{[18] [19]} McQueen's biographer Dana Thomas said "it seems he had truly fallen in love" with the Queen. ^[19] Author Judith Watt felt that the fairy tale story reflected McQueen's romantic innocence and "stemmed back to childhood days". ^[12] Although it was one of his most nationalist collections, journalist Susannah Frankel felt it contained elements of "irony and pastiche", and McQueen joked that he had picked the royal theme for selfish reasons: "I thought, I'll do this thing on the Queen, and I'll get the knighthood. I'll become Sir Alexander McQueen." ^[13]

The visual aesthetic of the collection was inspired by British culture and national symbols, particularly the British monarchy, as well as the clothing of India during the British Raj. ^{[7] [18]} McQueen cited the Duke of Wellington in the show notes, and there were military influences in the form of tailcoats and decorative frogging. ^[18] He also drew heavily on the clothing he saw in India with Leane, incorporating lush embroidery, jewelled headdresses, jutti (slippers resembling ballet flats), and the printed silk fabric used for saris. ^{[18] [20]} Primary fabrics included brocade, duchesse satin, silk, and velvet. ^{[18] [17] [21]} Real semiprecious stones were used for embroidery and embellishment. ^[19] The collection was unusually feminine compared to McQueen's usual work, which typically had a harder edge. ^{[22] [23] [24]}

The designs were divided into two broad phases, which followed the girl's journey out of the tree. ^[a] The looks from the first half represented the girl's feral state, or what McQueen called a " punk princess". ^[7] They were entirely black and white, with a slim silhouette accentuated by a cinched waistline. ^{[7] [18] [17]} McQueen largely confined his ever-present tailored garments to this half of the show, although dresses and flounced ballerina skirts also featured here. ^{[7] [26] [27]} Although the palette was muted, there were decorative embellishments such as crystals, lace, and silver printing. ^{[7] [27]}

The clothing from the second half was richly coloured, with luxurious materials and embellishments, representing the girl's transformation into a princess. ^{[18] [17]} The military elements were echoed here with regimental-style jackets and gold frogging. ^[7] The skirts of the later dresses were exaggerated with crinolines, referencing the haute couture gowns Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies each designed for Queen Elizabeth II in her youth. ^{[22] [27] [28]} Footwear in this phase was similar to heavily-beaded shoes designed by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior in the 1950s. ^{[7] [29]}

Imagery of birds, wings, and feathers were a recurring theme in McQueen's work throughout his career. ^{[30] [31]} In The Girl Who Lived in the Tree he focused on the peacock, India's national bird, which is culturally associated with beauty, grace, and love. ^[32] He asked Irish milliner Philip Treacy to create a single headpiece for the collection; as usual his creative brief was simple and gave wide latitude for interpretation. ^{[33] [19]} Treacy used driftwood to build the bird's body and sea fan coral for its tail. ^[19] Treacy recalled McQueen being "speechless" when he saw it. ^[19]

Runway show

Production details

The runway show was staged on 28 February 2008 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris. ^{[34] [7]} The invitation card featured an etching of a tree on gold-coloured paper on the outside, and on the inside, an image of a girl whose hair was mixed with tree branches. ^[20] McQueen personally invited Hillson to the show as a gesture of gratitude for her mentorship. ^[35] On the same day of the show, McQueen announced that his label was finally making a profit. ^[36]

The soundtrack opened with orchestral versions of the Nirvana songs " Come as You Are" and " Smells Like Teen Spirit". ^{[19] [20]} The second phase transitioned into classical music by Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. ^[7]

Catwalk presentation

The round stage was dressed in black with a black backdrop, with an enormous artificial tree in the centre wrapped in dark grey silk. ^[17] The fabric extended from the base of the tree to cover the entire stage. ^[20] The wrapping was inspired by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who were known for wrapping buildings and landmarks in fabric for their large-scale, site-specific environmental installations. ^{[7] [37]} Joseph Bennett, who had designed all of McQueen's runways since No. 13 (Spring/Summer 1999), returned to handle set design. ^{[38] [39]}

Forty-two looks were presented in two phases. Looks 1 to 23 were entirely black and white, representing the girl in her feral state. ^{[18] [17]} During this phase, the tree in the centre was illuminated blue. ^[32] Models' hair was aggressively backcombed and puffed out sideways from their heads, and their eyebrows were dark and strongly defined. ^{[12] [20]} Otherwise, makeup used a nude palette. ^[40] Dresses tended toward what Thomas called a "Victorian gothic" look. ^[19] There were several tailored ensembles featuring frock coats and trousers, which author Judith Watt found reminiscent of dandies from the British Regency era. ^{[26] [27]} The dark aesthetic reminded author Katherine Gleason of the main character in the 1991 film Edward Scissorhands. ^[20]

Following Look 23, the lights went down, except on the tree. The stage was briefly empty while the lighting on the tree transitioned to yellow, indicating the start of the second phase. ^[32] Looks 24 to 42 were richly coloured, with luxurious materials and embellishments, representing the girl's transition into royalty. ^{[18] [17]} Silhouettes here resembled the 1950s New Look, with tight waists and exaggerated skirts. ^{[41] [19]} Models were styled with antique gem-encrusted necklaces, headpieces, and earrings lent by the New York branch of The Gem Palace of Jaipur, India, a long-standing high-end jewellery atelier. ^{[42] [43] [44]} The majority of the shoes in this phase were embellished ballet flats. ^[27] The hair and makeup were more elegant, although with a slight "punk" edge – chignons were placed at the top of the head rather than the nape of the neck, and with hair sticking out at the top, for example. ^{[7] [44]} Gold-toned eyeshadow and highlighter matched the decadence of the jewellery and clothing. ^[40]

Notable ensembles

Look 10 was a black dress styled with Treacy's peacock headpiece. ^{[18] [19]} Look 22 was a full-skirted dress in black with a white print of a tree. Look 23 was similarly full-skirted, in white with a pair of black lace peacocks facing one another on the front and the back. ^[27] Gleason felt their positioning indicated "courtship and romance". ^[32]

Raquel Zimmermann wore Look 28, a cropped jacket and close-fitting bodysuit; she explained to interviewers that her masculine outfit represented the prince. ^[28] Look 29 features a dress with a print of a young Queen Elizabeth II combined with the Union Jack. ^[27] Looks 34 and 35 had full skirts covered in dyed feathers. ^[27] The final ensemble, Look 42, comprised a red satin coat worn over a bejeweled gown in ivory silk, accessorised with an egg-shaped purse in red leather that McQueen termed the "Empire" bag. ^{[41] [45]} The bag was decorated with gilt, copper alloy, and Swarovski crystals, and may have been inspired by the jewelled Fabergé eggs made for the Russian imperial family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ^[45] Kristin Knox called the entire ensemble "one of the most iconic dresses" of the collection. ^[46]

Reception

Critical response to The Girl Who Lived in the Tree was positive. Gleason reported that most critics saw the show as "a triumph". ^[41] In her review for Vogue, Sarah Mower wrote that it "arguably surpassed anything he's achieved in 14 years". ^[18] She found the clothing both beautiful and commercially viable, and concluded her review by saying "his brilliance had never shone more brightly". ^[18]

In retrospect, the collection is largely regarded as one of McQueen's best. Watt wrote that this collection proved McQueen "could create magnificent couture at his London atelier." ^[27] Kristin Knox called it "of his most memorable collections of all time". ^[46] In 2015, curator Kate Bethune recalled it as "one of McQueen's most lyrical and beautiful collections". ^[21] Thomas wrote that it was a "breathtakingly beautiful collection" and compared it to the best work of the major post-World War II designers Cristóbal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, and Jacques Fath. ^[19] Another of his biographers, Andrew Wilson, was more critical, calling it "highly artificial...a sweetened fairy-tale mix of the Raj and Royalty". ^[36]

Analysis

Look 10 with coral and driftwood headpiece by Philip Treacy

Figurine of Daphne, gold with coral, by Werner and Abraham Jamnitzer, 1570s

Researcher Lisa Skogh noted that McQueen often incorporated concepts and objects which might have appeared in a cabinet of curiosities – collections of natural and historical objects that were the precursor to modern museums. She identified the coral peacock headpiece as one such item, comparing it to a figurine of the nymph Daphne from the 1570s in which Daphne's hair is represented by a large piece of coral. ^{[47] [48]}

The theatrical flair of McQueen's designs in The Girl Who Lived in the Tree may have been influenced by his time at costume supplier Berman's & Nathan's. ^[49] Costume curator Keith Lodwick argued that his work on productions including the long-running Les Misérables was reflected in his tailored coats and jackets. He found the collection's waistcoats and decorative gold frogging evocative of the "revolutionary atmosphere of Les Misérables". ^[49] Dance curator Jane Pritchard suggested that McQueen had been primed to absorb influences from dance costuming, possibly unconsciously. She compared the collection's embellished designs and ballet skirts from to the costumes of the George Balanchine ballet Jewels. ^[50]

In an essay about McQueen's incorporation of Gothic elements into his work, literature professor Catherine Spooner observed that bodily transformation was theme he often returned to, especially in his fairy tale narratives such as The Girl Who Lived in the Tree. She contrasted the girl's evolution to many of McQueen's transformed bodies, noting that the narrative in The Girl was a "sweeter version" compared to collections like The Hunger (Spring/Summer 1996) that evoked horror and disgust. ^[51]

Writer Cassandra Atherton described using several McQueen collections, including The Girl Who Lived in the Tree, in a university-level creative writing course to teach a connection between poetry and fashion, particularly how one can inspire the other. ^[52]

Legacy

Daphne Guinness was photographed in the red robe from Look 42 for the August 2008 issue of Vanity Fair. ^[27] Two dresses from the collection were photographed for Vogue: a greyscale tartan dresses from the first phase was photographed by Venetia Scott, and the red feathered dress from Look 35 photographed by Emma Summerton. ^[53] Actress Salma Hayek wore a copy of the peacock dress from Look 23 to the 2015 opening gala for the V&A staging of Savage Beauty. ^[54] Playwright James Phillips produced the 2015 semi-biographical play McQueen, which incorporates ideas from the narrative of The Girl Who Lived in the Tree. ^[55]

In 2010, Jany Temime, the costume designer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, was accused of copying the peacock dress for a wedding dress which appears in the film. ^{[56] [57]} Belinda White of The Telegraph called the Harry Potter dress "a blatant rip-off" and wrote that Temime had altered "the crest on the bird's heads to make them more 'phoenixy'", but had left the rest of the design with "rather obvious peacock feathers". ^[56] The Alexander McQueen brand did not comment on the accusations. ^[56]

Ownership and museum exhibits

A number of looks from The Girl Who Lived in the Tree appeared in Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, a retrospective exhibition of McQueen's designs shown in 2011 at Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) and in 2015 at Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A). ^{[18] [17]} They comprised a large portion of the exhibit's "Romantic Nationalism" section. Looks 24, 26, 27, 39, and 42 appeared in both. ^[58] Look 35 was added for the 2015 staging. ^[59]

The Met owns copies of Look 7 and Look 25. ^{[60] [61]} The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum in Los Angeles owns a copy of Look 23, the black and white peacock dress. ^[62] The National Gallery of Victoria owns copies of Looks 20 and 40. ^{[63] [64]}

McQueen's friend Daphne Guinness auctioned part of her fashion archive in 2012, including one dress from The Girl Who Lived in the Tree. Pop star Lady Gaga purchased an ivory silk tulle empire waist gown – which appeared on the runway in black as Look 7 – for $133,075. At the time, it was the highest amount paid for a McQueen item at auction. ^{[18] [65]}

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Bolton, Andrew (2011). Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. New York City: Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN  978-1-58839-412-5. OCLC  687693871.
  • Frankel, Susannah (2011). "Introduction". In Bolton, Andrew (ed.). Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. New York City: Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 17–27. ISBN  978-1-58839-412-5.
• Callahan, Maureen (2014). Champagne Supernovas: Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, and the '90s Renegades Who Remade Fashion. New York City: Touchstone Books. ISBN  978-1-4516-4053-3.
• Crowe, Lauren Goldstein (2010). Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion. New York City: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN  978-1-4299-8538-3.
• Fairer, Robert; Wilcox, Claire (2016). Alexander McQueen: Unseen. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. ISBN  978-0-300-22267-8. OCLC  946216643.
• Fox, Chloe (2012). Vogue On: Alexander McQueen. Vogue on Designers. London: Quadrille Publishing. ISBN  978-1849491136. OCLC  828766756.
• Gleason, Katherine (2012). Alexander McQueen: Evolution. New York City: Race Point Publishing. ISBN  978-1-61058-837-9. OCLC  783147416.
• Homer, Karen (2023). Little Book of Alexander McQueen: The Story of the Iconic Brand. London: Welbeck Publishing Group. ISBN  978-1-80279-270-6.
• Knox, Kristin (2010). Alexander McQueen: Genius of a Generation. London: A&C Black. ISBN  978-1-4081-3223-4. OCLC  794296806.
• Thomas, Dana (2015). Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. New York City: Penguin Publishing. ISBN  978-1-101-61795-3. OCLC  951153602.
• Watt, Judith (2012). Alexander McQueen: The Life and the Legacy. New York City: Harper Design. ISBN  978-1-84796-085-6. OCLC  892706946.
• Wilcox, Claire, ed. (2015). Alexander McQueen. New York City: Abrams Books. ISBN  978-1-4197-1723-9. OCLC  891618596.
  • Bethune, Kate. "Encyclopedia of Collections". In Wilcox (2015), pp. 303–326.
  • Miller, Janice. "Making-Up". In Wilcox (2015), pp. 234–241.
  • Lodwick, Keith. "Coup de Théâtre". In Wilcox (2015), pp. 247–251.
  • Persson, Helen. "Walking Out". In Wilcox (2015), pp. 110–115.
  • Pritchard, Jane. "Dance". In Wilcox (2015), pp. 252–257.
  • Skogh, Lisa. "Museum of the Mind". In Wilcox (2015), pp. 178–188.
  • Spooner, Catherine. "A Gothic Mind". In Wilcox (2015), pp. 141–158.
• Wilson, Andrew (2015). Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin. New York City: Simon and Schuster. ISBN  978-1-4767-7674-3. OCLC  1310585849.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Girl Who Lived in the Tree.

• "Women's 2008". Alexander McQueen. Archived from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
• Alexander McQueen | Women's Autumn/Winter 2008 | Runway Show on YouTube