William Blake inspires the new Alexander McQueen menswear collection
The brand’s 2021 lookbook takes inspiration from the English poet and artist
Alexander McQueen artistic director Sarah Burton brings poetry and romanticism in this new collection lookbook shot by Paolo Roversi and styled by Camilla Nickerson. This season, the inspiration comes from the famous Londonian artist William Blake, known as a poet, painter, and printmaker. His most famous drawings illustrated the literature masterpiece Dante's Divine Comedy, with more than one hundred illustrations. Drawing on the concept of imagination as a pure form of escapism, it centres around lightness, air and water - on beauty emerging from darkness, we can read on the collection notes.
As usual, the Alexander McQueen menswear silhouettes feature high-level and unique tailoring, mixing strength and romance. William Blake's artworks are reminiscent of the designer's love for nature that he expressed wonderfully in his collections.
We can recognise in the collection the artwork Beatrice addressing Dante from the car. Exhibited in the Tate Museum in London, we can wear the artwork printed on a suit, composed of a single-breasted jacket, a silk shirt, and slim wool trousers.
The giant eagle-headed creature from the scene adorns an elegant ivory single-breasted coat. Exploded ruffles give a floral tone on a double-breasted tailored black coat and a sleeveless tailored tuxedo jacket.