McQueen of the Road
By
April 23, 2009
Made from the designer’s signature black leather, Alexander McQueen has reworked a mini clutch, hobo bag, and open-toed pumps with skull-shaped zips and quilted buckles. Inspired by Sixties road movie Girl on a Motorcycle, the tough accessories recall a deconstructed leather jacket. The film follows the story of a young woman (Marianne Faithfull) who leaves her newly married life and bikes across France and Germany to visit her lover in Heidelberg. A parable of the mobile woman, the movie slimmed down—and thus reinvented—motorcycle jackets for Faithfull, who wore full-body leather suit on her journey.
McQueen’s send-ups feature an excess of metal and buckles, padded leather (for road rash) and asymmetric pockets. The pumps are detailed with exposed zippers and the booties have a fold-over top that snaps down like a jacket collar. And for those who take the biker thing more seriously, McQueen offers matching fingerless gloves.
