Sarah Burton’s winter trip to Cornwall, the southernmost county of the United Kingdom, inspired the designer to celebrate the mysterious powers of nature in her fall/winter 2017 collection for Alexander McQueen.
Burton cited paganism subcultures, ancient traditions, stone circles, medieval churches, creative communities, and the ‘Cloutie’ or ‘wishing’ trees – onto which people tie rags and ribbons as wishes and mementos – as the initial sources of inspiration for the fall collection. The designer’s ability to mix old-world references and tribal styles with modern silhouettes allowed for endless decorative possibilities and means of couture-level craftsmanship.
Throughout the collection’s 45 mouthwatering looks was a cacophony of highlights – long dresses decorated with colorful needlework and sensual, tailored pantsuits for evening, as well as structured overcoats and asymmetrical belted jackets. Artisanal embroidery and vibrant cross-stitching atop leather garments created tribal intensity while making medieval inspiration appear hopelessly modern. Tailored blazers and tuxedo jackets nipped at the waist were worn over wide-legged trousers, while tulle gowns dripped with delicate forms of embellishment. Burton cited the ‘Cloutie’ tree as the source of inspiration behind the collection’s shoelace detailing, while some designs included woven ribbons that gave the appearance of colorful tweed.
McQueen’s fall/winter 2017 collection was inclusive of the British countryside, female power, and medieval traditions, seen through a contemporary lens. Burton channeled every detail of Cornwall’s rich Celtic history to create a unique collection that both honored and modernized the Middle Ages – one that would have made the house’s late founder tremendously proud.
![Mcqueen fw2017 muse board](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/1VMGorFhWlmEn0tgp8gw7G/92d26fffcfabcffd6df1b97f7d311bfe/McQueen_FW2017_Muse_Board.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
References
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Juan O'Gorman
UNAM Library, 1949-52
![Juan o gorman unam library 1949 52](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/6AF5p8WGg1pIUyGTIvImtT/3280c879300c903c127ef56aab26353a/Juan_O_Gorman__UNAM_library__1949-52.jpg)
Wassily Kandinsky
Das Bunte Leben, 1907
![Kandinsky wassily das bunte leben 1907](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/649MwHrkjyw9HnK7StAJOb/2c6fa7cf1beaa0b922956e90e2b51026/Kandinsky__Wassily__Das_Bunte_Leben__1907.jpg)
Florian Schmid
Stitching Concrete, 2009
![Stitch02](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/5fGhjryaaoilvdRVspBmub/94d97f894f0b3fc72ba42eff76badbbf/stitch02.jpg)
Athabaskan Beaded Hide Legging
1890
![A pair of athabaskan woman s beaded hide leggings. c. 1890](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/3FAWHiIqqmFLp436qH0VMw/0298b351ae4b9abe7d9c449b83e5cdfe/A_PAIR_OF_ATHABASKAN_WOMAN_S_BEADED_HIDE_LEGGINGS._c._1890.jpg)
Anni Albers
Under Way, 1963
![Anni albers under way 1963.](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/6AlKMwOinxNocLZVqVoyls/0f336b33949516ba7f8078e83fb46eae/Anni_Albers__Under_Way__1963..jpg)
Yves Saint Laurent
F/W 1969-1970, France
![Yves saint laurent 1969](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/72dmagXdAOxl9Dpqhy99LZ/02069b75ba2c3d904a73d13d43e5050b/YVES_SAINT_LAURENT_1969.jpg)
Crow War Shirt
Crow Beaded Hide War Shirt
![American indian crow beaded hide war shirt](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/4OsezpY5daNgeoTgU7p4vv/3127d6730b98a6c76c2c185c18e3b115/American_Indian_Crow_Beaded_Hide_War_Shirt.jpeg)
Gloria Vanderbilt
Bedroom II, 1975
Hector Guimard
Architectural Elements, c. 1900s
![Hector guimard architectural elemetn](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/6AKETOQ571o6yzjVCHz1EY/8df1c0aba8e075a42641e760148bef57/Hector_Guimard_Architectural_Elemetn.jpg)
Hector Guimard
Jardinière, c. 1900s
![Hector guimard jardini re c. 1900](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/zpTUA14DtvmRReP872cnv/d81c6a95329c5b454584fa3c1b3c8882/Hector_Guimard__Jardini__re__c._1900.jpg)
Morris Louis
Vega, 1961
![Morris louis vega 1961](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/1iSiEm5Dz6dDp0dzcBryoY/a3e5d6c556e081f4733528accb133fe8/morris-louis-vega__1961.jpg)
Juan O'Gorman
O'Gorman House Pedregal de San Ángel, México, 1954
![O gorman house pedregal de san ngel m xico d.f. m xico. 1954 architect juan o gorman](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/4CsCtFyJ1ex374rLAfUfyz/4d96506430d845865ed8126329cec65a/O_Gorman_House_Pedregal_de_San___ngel__M__xico_D.F._M__xico._1954_Architect__Juan_O_Gorman.jpg)
South Netherlandish
The Unicorn in Captivity, 1495-1505
![The unicorn in captivity from the unicorn tapestries 1495 1505 south netherlandish](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/5tUBT1mN0jlC3F0cPtN1Dk/d5d5752190dae05803543c62accc4c54/The_Unicorn_in_Captivity__from_the_Unicorn_Tapestries___1495-1505__South_Netherlandish.jpeg)
Jean Lucrat
Le Chant du Monde, 1961
![U 1429 683888225200 lurcat09](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/4d0gkPSJldRZ7i0RlK9qP0/78c28a6b632fd7e95dac897343a664f8/U_1429_683888225200_Lurcat09.jpg)
William and Mary
Marquetry Cabinet, 1690
![William and mary marquetry cabinet 1690](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/3ffyGtkCo2369BSZ2x3ESh/a470c8f0aff5142228ee7db0b7c28adb/William_and_Mary_marquetry_cabinet__1690.jpg)
Yup'ik
Finger mask, 19th century
![Yup ik artist finger mask 19th century](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/6FPX6TAT5zLNoaDEsorA3b/6fe35a1f9b14b93d447859f07728a29b/Yup_ik_artist__Finger_mask__19th_century.jpg)
Azzedine Alaïa
Fall 2016
![Azzedine ala a fall 2016](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/3z5mTluMyxnXuaxKXC11Bm/a339e24d38b76e26cf92b55c9623a2ec/Azzedine_Ala__a_Fall_2016.jpg)
References
![Juan o gorman unam library 1949 52](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/6AF5p8WGg1pIUyGTIvImtT/3280c879300c903c127ef56aab26353a/Juan_O_Gorman__UNAM_library__1949-52.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Juan O'Gorman
UNAM Library, 1949-52
1 of 17
![Kandinsky wassily das bunte leben 1907](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/649MwHrkjyw9HnK7StAJOb/2c6fa7cf1beaa0b922956e90e2b51026/Kandinsky__Wassily__Das_Bunte_Leben__1907.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Wassily Kandinsky
Das Bunte Leben, 1907
2 of 17
![Stitch02](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/5fGhjryaaoilvdRVspBmub/94d97f894f0b3fc72ba42eff76badbbf/stitch02.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Florian Schmid
Stitching Concrete, 2009
3 of 17
![A pair of athabaskan woman s beaded hide leggings. c. 1890](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/3FAWHiIqqmFLp436qH0VMw/0298b351ae4b9abe7d9c449b83e5cdfe/A_PAIR_OF_ATHABASKAN_WOMAN_S_BEADED_HIDE_LEGGINGS._c._1890.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Athabaskan Beaded Hide Legging
1890
4 of 17
![Anni albers under way 1963.](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/6AlKMwOinxNocLZVqVoyls/0f336b33949516ba7f8078e83fb46eae/Anni_Albers__Under_Way__1963..jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Anni Albers
Under Way, 1963
5 of 17
![Yves saint laurent 1969](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/72dmagXdAOxl9Dpqhy99LZ/02069b75ba2c3d904a73d13d43e5050b/YVES_SAINT_LAURENT_1969.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Yves Saint Laurent
F/W 1969-1970, France
6 of 17
![American indian crow beaded hide war shirt](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/4OsezpY5daNgeoTgU7p4vv/3127d6730b98a6c76c2c185c18e3b115/American_Indian_Crow_Beaded_Hide_War_Shirt.jpeg?w=1000&q=70)
Crow War Shirt
Crow Beaded Hide War Shirt
7 of 17
Gloria Vanderbilt
Bedroom II, 1975
8 of 17
![Hector guimard architectural elemetn](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/6AKETOQ571o6yzjVCHz1EY/8df1c0aba8e075a42641e760148bef57/Hector_Guimard_Architectural_Elemetn.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Hector Guimard
Architectural Elements, c. 1900s
9 of 17
![Hector guimard jardini re c. 1900](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/zpTUA14DtvmRReP872cnv/d81c6a95329c5b454584fa3c1b3c8882/Hector_Guimard__Jardini__re__c._1900.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Hector Guimard
Jardinière, c. 1900s
10 of 17
![Morris louis vega 1961](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/1iSiEm5Dz6dDp0dzcBryoY/a3e5d6c556e081f4733528accb133fe8/morris-louis-vega__1961.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Morris Louis
Vega, 1961
11 of 17
![O gorman house pedregal de san ngel m xico d.f. m xico. 1954 architect juan o gorman](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/4CsCtFyJ1ex374rLAfUfyz/4d96506430d845865ed8126329cec65a/O_Gorman_House_Pedregal_de_San___ngel__M__xico_D.F._M__xico._1954_Architect__Juan_O_Gorman.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Juan O'Gorman
O'Gorman House Pedregal de San Ángel, México, 1954
12 of 17
![The unicorn in captivity from the unicorn tapestries 1495 1505 south netherlandish](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/5tUBT1mN0jlC3F0cPtN1Dk/d5d5752190dae05803543c62accc4c54/The_Unicorn_in_Captivity__from_the_Unicorn_Tapestries___1495-1505__South_Netherlandish.jpeg?w=1000&q=70)
South Netherlandish
The Unicorn in Captivity, 1495-1505
13 of 17
![U 1429 683888225200 lurcat09](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/4d0gkPSJldRZ7i0RlK9qP0/78c28a6b632fd7e95dac897343a664f8/U_1429_683888225200_Lurcat09.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Jean Lucrat
Le Chant du Monde, 1961
14 of 17
![William and mary marquetry cabinet 1690](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/3ffyGtkCo2369BSZ2x3ESh/a470c8f0aff5142228ee7db0b7c28adb/William_and_Mary_marquetry_cabinet__1690.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
William and Mary
Marquetry Cabinet, 1690
15 of 17
![Yup ik artist finger mask 19th century](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/6FPX6TAT5zLNoaDEsorA3b/6fe35a1f9b14b93d447859f07728a29b/Yup_ik_artist__Finger_mask__19th_century.jpg?w=1000&q=70)
Yup'ik
Finger mask, 19th century
16 of 17
![Azzedine ala a fall 2016](http://images.ctfassets.net/nonm77rtn1g8/3z5mTluMyxnXuaxKXC11Bm/a339e24d38b76e26cf92b55c9623a2ec/Azzedine_Ala__a_Fall_2016.jpg?w=1000&q=70)