After the classic beauty of Kate Middleton's wedding dress, Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton is ready for something with more sting.The label's creative director had Paris Fashion Week buzzing with excitement as she unveiled her bee inspired ready-to-wear collection.Feminine strength and sensuality were the leitmotifs of the tailored designs, stamped with hive-like hexagons.
Trousers and shorts were paired with jackets firmly cinched in at the waist – a look that is very much a hallmark of the label under Ms Burton, who took over after Alexander's tragic death in 2010.The exciting, avant-garde aesthetic would probably be too extreme for the Duchess of Cambridge's tastes, but the show did evolve to embrace a softer, more feminine edge.
Billowing, layered skirts embroidered with flower detail brought proceedings to a calmer, honey-dipped end. But the looming black visors remained omnipresent throughout the spectacle. Sarah said: "It was looking at womanhood and embracing the female form. I wanted it to feel sensual. "I wanted to have a lightness to it and I wanted it to feel erotic but not in an overly fleshy kind of way."
