The future of Alexander McQueen (Telegraph)
“There has, understandably, been no official indication yet on the future of Alexander McQueen – the brand, beyond the statement by Robert Polet, Gucci Group CEO: ‘The legacy he leaves us is a rich one, and one that we will cherish and honour.’ But will they? And how?”

Clothing company Express files for $200 mln IPO (Reuters)
“Express, the sixth-largest specialty retail apparel brand in the United States, filed on Tuesday for an initial public offering of up to $200 million.”

Italy wants IT Holding to speed up asset sales (Reuters)
“The Italian government wants to speed up the sale of assets by Italian fashion group IT Holding which has been in administration since last year.”

Menswear comes into its own at NY Fashion Week (Reuters)
“Menswear at New York Fashion Week typically takes a backseat… but the collections unveiled this week show U.S. menswear designers coming into their own with strong performances, buyers and trend analysts said.”

Sportswear tops luxury on Facebook (Independent)
“A marketing company called Stylophane has developed a new index that ranks brands by Facebook followers, with its list highlighting the popularity of sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas in comparison to luxe brands including Burberry and Gucci.”

At his last show, Paris October 2009 | Source: style.com

Alexander McQueen, A True Master (WWD)
“The London-born McQueen’s death unleashed a torrent of shock and anguish from designers, retailers and others in the fashion world. ‘In a world where every man and his dog is a designer, Alexander McQueen was the real deal.’”

Alexander McQueen, found dead on February 11 (Telegraph)
“Alexander McQueen, who was found dead on February 11 aged 40…was celebrated as the ‘bad boy of British fashion’ – an aggressively-talented tailor who refused to compromise and was all-the-more lauded as a result.”

Alexander McQueen, Dark Star of International Fashion (IHT)
“His death at age 40 also may force the industry to examine the current environment in which a generation of young designers is under unprecedented pressure to expand each fledgling brand.”

A Visit to London (NY Times)
“He was very confident, clear, mature and certainly eager to talk about his ideas about the Web. All that fascinated him — its conceptual possibilities fascinated him, as well as its commercial realities. I think we saw that in his October show in Paris.”

A Brand’s Uncertain Future (WSJ)
“The sudden death of Alexander McQueen leaves Gucci Group, the parent company of the British designer’s eponymous fashion house, to decide whether it can chart a future for a brand that was inextricably linked to its creator.”

Alexander McQueen Store on 14th Street in New York | Source: Stylesightings

LONDON, United Kingdom — One of the first fashion shows I ever attended was the Alexander McQueen show for Spring/Summer 2007, staged in the round at the Cirque D’Hiver in Paris. Jonathan Akeroyd, the affable CEO of McQueen, was kind enough to grant my cheeky request for an invitation, and he even let me bring along my college roommate, who was studying outside Paris at the time.

We were seated in the very last row way up in the rafters of the massive round theatre, but still we were mesmerised by McQueen’s collection and his spectacular presentation. Afterwards, we stepped out into the pouring rain late on a Friday night during Paris Fashion Week with a sense of awe and wonderment that lingered for the rest of the evening.

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Screenshot from David David fashion film | Source: David David

NEW YORK, United States — Fashion film was everywhere this season. Emerging and established designers alike dreamt up new ways to use the medium, proving it to be an increasingly powerful and flexible format for capturing, heightening and transmitting the energy of the collections.

In New York, designers Gareth Pugh and Tim Hamilton presented films that acted as prequels and sequels to their respective Paris runway shows, extending their presence across multiple fashion capitals. While in London, DAVID DAVID presented a series of clean and cost-effective films in lieu of an expensive runway show, Richard Nicoll showed a haunting short to introduce his catwalk outing, and luxury knitwear manufacturers Pringle of Scotland returned to London Fashion Week with a beautiful film featuring Tilda Swinton.

Fashion film was a powerful force in Paris, as well. Alexander McQueen integrated film into his visionary, technology-infused show, creating a heightened, multimedia experience for the editors and buyers in attendance, while beaming the spectacle to the world via twin robotic cameras and a link up with Nick Knight’s website SHOWstudio.

Fashion film also made an appearance alongside the collections. In a timely homage to an early pioneer, Parisian department store Le Bon Marché held a beautifully installed exhibition titled “Guy Bourdin: ses films.” Meanwhile, across the Seine at the Palais de Tokyo, fashion blogger Diane Pernet staged her second annual fashion film festival, screening recent films by Steven Klein, Nick Knight and others.

What follows is a BoF Best of the Season selection of what we think were the most innovative and captivating fashion films (and fashion film happenings) we saw this season. (RSS and Email subscribers, click here to view the films).

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LONDON, United Kingdom – As four weeks of fashion shows came to a close last week in Paris, it was hard to believe it had only been a month since the start of a fashion week season that had many designers, editors and buyers holding their breath. Thankfully, optimism reigned supreme as the industry finally got its groove back.

But even before the regular jam-packed four week fashion marathon was Fashion’s Night Out — possibly the biggest global fashion extravaganza ever­. This was followed by a month full of magazine and book launches, the U.S. Coco Avant Chanel film premiere, and the debut of perhaps the most anticipated high street fashion line ever, J+ by Jil Sander for Uniqlo.  The fashion pack is understandably exhausted.

Lucky for you, we at the BoF have been scouring the shows, talking to CEOs, observing the front rows and getting the skinny on all the important news and market trends over the past month. So, in what has now become a seasonal tradition, here is our take on Spring/Summer 2010, the season that was.

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