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AlexanderMcQueen 2002 "Supercalifragilistic" Wool SilkChiffon Black Evening Gown

Name: AlexanderMcQueen 2002 "Supercalifragilistic" Wool SilkChiffon Black Evening Gown
Brand: Alexander McQueen
Price: 9570 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

British Alexander McQueen designed this curvaceous uniquely-draped black evening gown for his "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" collection for Autumn/Winter 2002-2003, which set a ready-to-wear $37,500 auction record in 2020 for its complimentary "parachute" silk coat, while a 1stDibs listing in only "good condition" for a later similar raw-edge-finished silk chiffon red midi dress for Spring/Summer 2003 sold for $10,144. In very good condition, the intricate ruched semi-transparent silk chiffon and sleek lined wool hourglass below-the-knee dress is tagged size "38" as a French size (US4-6)--not an Italian size although other tags note "Made In Italy". Like the 2020-auctioned coat from Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, the gown is also among the few that encapsulate this collection according to Alexander McQueen, who was quoted by magazine Numero: "This collection was inspired by Tim Burton. It started out dark and then got more romantic as it went along." This is why The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute showcased a runway ensemble including the romantic black coat in its Alexander McQueen retrospective, "Savage Beauty", a year after the designer died (1969-2010), when he was acknowledged as the most imaginative and provocative fashion designer of his generation. The sleeveless wool draped, gathered, swaged and flounced gown is topped by a mock underlay of silk chiffon, which is ruched from the semi-transparent bust around the low wide neckline into cap sleeves that can slip off the shoulder. Giving a romantic medieval French "milkmaid" style a provocative rock-n-roll edge, the hems of the delicate sheer neckline and tiny sleeves are finely distressed by hand-finishing like a punk version of eyelash lace. Tailored to McQueen's high Saville-Row standard as a masterful manipulator of wool fabric, the sexy gown is distinctly contemporary with its sleek deep draping from curvilinear seams flowing from a high-waisted tight bodice, which makes the hips appear voluminous. Uniquely, a swag forms above a point in front of the lower legs with the majority of wool fabric gathered at the back center. This creates a rear raised hem that McQueen has constructed into a double triangular flounce to enable multi-directional movement of it while walking. This prevents any restriction at the hips, so the wearer only needs a trim waist to look their best. In the back center, there is invisible zip closure and hook-and-eye fastening. The intricate formal gown is versatile for cocktail wear, while McQueen visually "extended" the length of his black dresses on the runway with black knee-high boots. A similar gown was the Parisian fashion-show finale, while the stage makeup on the model's face created a black-and-white eye mask recalling the American rock band Kiss. Vogue magazine wrote about the Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious debut: "Best of all, he's softened his sometimes severe hand so that the idea of wearing these pieces seems not just possible, but quite appealing." Notably regarding provenance, the only owner purchased it when McQueen opened his namesake New York City boutique in the Meatpacking District in Summer 2002 when introducing his Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Collection to the United States.

Designer:

Alexander McQueen

Brand:

Alexander McQueen

Dimensions:

Marked Size: 6 (US)

Style:

romantic rock-n-roll, sleeping beauty (In the Style Of)

Place of Origin:

United Kingdom

Period:

2000-2009

Material Notes:

The wool fabric of the sleeveless gown is seamed, draped, gathered, swaged and flounced, while the silk chiffon is ruched and hand-cut as a faux underlay including the bust, neckline and cap sleeves.

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Please ask for measurements if you are not familiar with US-size 6 or French-size 38, while the gown will more loosely fit a US4 or FR36. The measurements of body parts other than the waist (shoulders, bust, hips, legs) should not be of concern.

Seller Location:

Chicago, IL

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU3244218109252

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Shop All Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

British fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, the original creative engine behind the Alexander McQueen label, was beloved for his expert tailoring and theatrical runway shows. After his suicide in 2010, fans left tributes to the man and his talents outside Alexander McQueen boutiques worldwide. Record-breaking crowds visited the posthumous retrospective of the designer’s work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Victoria and Albert in London.

The inspirations for vintage Alexander McQueen bags, dresses, jackets and other items came from many quarters — film, music, current events, history, his heritage and fashions of the past. The designer's runway presentations were not just displays of clothing but were personal expressions of the zeitgeist, often touching on our cultural anxieties and concerns. McQueen’s own thoughts and feelings about love, death, gender, genocide, colonialism, global warming and the extinction of species all appear in his pieces.

McQueen certainly shook up fashion; he was a born Rottweiler. His upbringing on a council estate in north London played a part, but his family was close and supportive, not dysfunctional. He was proud of his Scottish heritage: He was a defiant fashion warrior. His historical themes and shows — such as “Highland Rape,” 2002, which was inspired by England’s “rape of Scotland,” as McQueen called it — always invoked powerful reactions from his audience of fashion pros.

“What you see in the work is the person himself. And my heart is in my work,” McQueen told Harper’s Bazaar in 2007.

It is perhaps this heart, and the heart’s exposure, that drew the crowds and made McQueen's creations both popular and emotionally resonant. Because the work was personal and thus layered with feeling, the motifs — decorative embellishments and fabric choices — have meaning. In other words, in McQueen’s oeuvre, plaid is more than simply a pattern.

Find vintage Alexander McQueen fashion and accessories — including the designer's coveted bags and comfortable, stretchy jersey knit dresses and gowns — on 1stDibs.