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Alexander McQueen returned to London Fashion Week on Sunday with a co-ed spring/summer 2027 collection that drew on the tensions between the capital’s historic architecture, tailoring traditions and underground culture.
Staged at The Undercroft, Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, the show marked Creative Director Seán McGirr’s first Alexander McQueen runway presentation in London. The house was founded in the city by Lee Alexander McQueen in 1992 and has typically shown in Paris.
Its return to the official London schedule brought together womenswear and menswear, moving between sacred and subcultural references. Smoked tulle, a palette drawn from religious portraiture and delicate floral motifs appeared alongside washed neon, leather harnesses and sharply controlled tailoring.
“This collection is a celebration of London’s ceaselessly stimulating and transcendent power,” McGirr said. “McQueen is a London-born house, and the city’s uncompromising attitude and subversive spirit sit at its very heart.”
That tension was visible in sculptural angel-wing forms set against tall, strict suiting. Three bespoke menswear looks made with Huntsman Savile Row used heritage British wools, exaggerated shoulders and high, narrow waists, bringing traditional British tailoring into the collection’s elongated proportions.
Elsewhere, smoked tulle and reflective glass organza introduced a lighter quality. Acid floral prints appeared across the organza, while intricate embroidery and nocturnal jacquards faded into sheer fabrics. Lacquered satin provided a harder finish in contrast with the collection’s delicate materials.
London-born master jeweller Shaun Leane created a precious-metal body harness handcrafted in recycled silver and introduced through his new atelier, 12. His involvement extended a collaboration with McQueen that began in 1995.
Alongside the new harness, sculptural headpieces from McQueen’s autumn/winter 1998 Joan and autumn/winter 2004 Pantheon ad Lucem collections were reintroduced, connecting the SS27 collection with the house’s archive.
A. G. Cook provided the music, joined by choir Shard Voices. Tom Scutt led the concept and production design, while Camille Bidault-Waddington styled the collection.
The London return comes amid a wider reset at McQueen. Gianfranco D’Attis was appointed CEO in June, with the former Prada chief tasked with improving the house’s financial performance and sharpening its positioning.
McQueen is restructuring under parent company Kering, including plans for a leaner retail network. The house is also due to relocate its 27 Old Bond Street flagship to another premium location on the same street during the final quarter of 2026.
Its return to London Fashion Week was welcomed by British Fashion Council CEO Laura Weir, who framed the show as part of a wider effort to bring established houses back to the London schedule. Mulberry also showed in the city under designer Christopher Kane, marking his first public outing since he was appointed Creative Director of Women’s Ready-to-Wear in March.
Weir previously described McQueen’s comeback to London as “a statement of confidence in British creativity at its most fearless and distinctive”.