The Female Figure

1860-1899

As Creative Director of Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton was praised for representing womanhood in the Autumn/Winter 2018 collection. Throughout this collection there are pieces taking inspiration from Victorian trends such as sculpted corsets and belts structured to emphasize waistlines.

These modern creations resemble 19th century corsets with their design and how they shape the woman’s figure, but alternatively, they have been reconstructed in edgy materials such as leather. The strong colors of black and red transform the pieces into powerful statements. These historical trends have been modernized by layering men’s-styled tuxedo jackets on top or feminine, sheer slip dresses underneath.

Burton takes the historical fashion of corsetry and modernizes it in the wake of the ‘Me Too’ and ‘Times Up’ movements. These movements of the 21st century are powerful because their foundation is built upon women taking back their voices and bodies. Womanhood has drastically changed from the Victorian Era to present day. It is as though the corset is being brought back to its original intent: to emphasize the women’s shape. Now that women are the ones emphasizing their curves, the corset offers a powerful statement. The Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 2018 collection uses the feminine appearance of corsets to exaggerate the strength that a woman’s figure can symbolize.

Works Cited

McQueen, Alexander. Autumn/Winter 2018 (Look 2). 5 Mar. 2018. WGSN Catwalk Gallery. WGSN. Web. 2 Jul. 2019. https://www.wgsn.com/catwalk_gallery/#gender=2&season=166&city=0&show=46911.

McQueen, Alexander. Autumn/Winter 2018 (Look 31). 5 Mar. 2018. WGSN Catwalk Gallery. WGSN. Web. 2 Jul. 2019. https://www.wgsn.com/catwalk_gallery/#gender=2&season=166&city=0&show=46911.

Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de. Fastening a Corset – A Passing Conquest, from the series Elles. 1896. The Met Collection. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Web. 26 Jun. 2019. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/334102?&searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&deptids=9 &when=A.D.+1800-1900&ft=corset&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=3.

Women's Corset. c. 1860-70s. Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA. Bloomsbury Fashion Central. Web. 25 Jun. 2019. https://0-www-bloomsburyfashioncentral-com.library.academyart.edu/products/berg-fashion- library/museum/philadelphia-museum-of-art/womens-corset.