The eerie elegance of McQueen's SS25 collection For his second collection at the helm of the brand, Sean McGirr sharpens his focus

In a show that celebrates the heritage of the maison but also the cultural roots of the new creative director Sean McGirr, the SS25 collection of McQueen paid homage to Irish and Scottish folklore. “The banshee is an integral part of the brand’s history,” writes the designer. “But it’s also a story I grew up with, so for me, it’s extremely personal.” At the École des Beaux-Arts, on a metal runway decorated with cracked tiles—a detail that evokes the eerie sets so loved by McQueen—the brand’s new collection looks to the archives, particularly the FW94 inspired by the mythical figure of the banshee, a female spirit that for McGirr represents “something powerful and real, someone who can be seen as a guiding force”. From the McQueen show that served as inspiration, silhouettes and materials could be recognized, including long lace dresses and embroidered English tailoring. With the addition of towering platform shoes, hats and wool skull masks, blood-red details, and taffeta corsets, McGirr demonstrated that he has finally fully immersed himself in the brand's universe and emerged more aware. After a first show, FW24, which initially disappointed expectations but later left a mark thanks to impactful accessories like the hoof shoes, the Irish designer continues to keep the industry's attention, this time grabbing it by the throat with grand classics.

The final looks of the collection speak of a gala banshee, a mystical figure wearing voluminous white dresses but also jackets entirely covered in buttons, beads, and gold bolts—perhaps a reference to another famous Lee McQueen collection, the FW99 Givenchy. The designs become more dramatic towards the end, with thorn-shaped appliqués (another reference to a past collection, the FW06 that also inspired the look McGirr created for Lana Del Rey at the latest Met Gala) that twist around a model’s torso and a gray silk cloud vaporizing around another model’s legs. The banshee returns to the École des Beaux-Arts in a new form, a bundle of sparkling rhinestones twisting from head to toe. Having had more time to create the collection, McGirr explained backstage, it was easier this time to study the brand's archives and delve deeper into its history to revisit it in a modern way. While the fashion industry was outraged by the irony with which the young designer took his first steps as the brand’s creative director in FW24, this time McGirr has shown his more mature and respectful side. With the certainty that coats and blazers will sell, the designer can now breathe a sigh of relief; let's just hope he doesn’t get overwhelmed by the desire to please at all costs and retains some of the charming wickedness that left everyone speechless last February.