Is it that time already? It appears fashion season is slowly starting to creep on us, but don’t panic, you’ve still got the better part of a month to mentally prepare for all the fire fits and gorgeous looks straight from the frow.

Easing us gently into the festivities, Alexander McQueen has unleashed their Pre AW21 collection, and the whole thing is pretty spectacular. For their latest seasonal offerings, Sarah Burton and the McQueen design team have turned their attention to the art of the silhouette, defining their focus on fabric, proportion and colour. Think rich, royal blue dresses with full skirts and intricately embroidered bird motifs and delicate moons, or pleated party dresses in bold pastels.

There are voluminous bomber jackets, ruched at the sleeve, nipped at the waist, and turned into wide skirts with chunky fastenings and lining of the lipstick red variety, a variety of slick McQueen suiting in contrasting hues of grey, fusions of nylon sleeves in olive and suave trench coats in camel. And as for all the denim, frills, and leather, such a combination will always have us totally hot under the collar…

In the accessories department, The Bundle bag and The Chelsea Wander boot are in the spotlight, as well the house’s brand new Curve bag, which, as you know, we already can’t get enough of. If we were to sum up the vibe in five words, we’d have to pick sophisticated, sexy, stunning, slinky, and sumptuous – and that’s not just because they all begin with ‘s’!

Burton and co. have always indulged in the brand’s thrilling history of innovation, creating frocks that span several decades, suits that are caked in androgyny, and a style that is totally eternal. McQueen Pre AW21 is certainly no exception to the rule, more so a case in point of how good design will always transcend hype or trend, especially if a big skirt is involved…