Alexander McQueen: Exploded Ruffles

The conversation between Alexander McQueen men’s and womenswear continues as exploded ruffles crafted in polyfaille are spliced across both collections. These serve to reinvent and add character to wardrobe archetypes including white cotton jersey T-shirts, cropped tailored jackets, long-line tuxedos, masculine shirting, sporty sweatshirts and shorts.

A cropped T-shirt with exploded ruffles in William Blake Dante print cotton jersey and an oyster ruffled skirt in cotton poplin.
Featuring details from Illustrations to Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’, Beatrice Addressing Dante from the Car (1824 7), William Blake. Photo: Tate. Courtesy of Tate Images.

William Blake Dante print cotton poplin ruffles are meticulously placed across shoulders on a T-shirt and on an overblown skirt.

A single-breasted tailored tuxedo jacket with cutout back detailing, slashed shoulders and exploded ruffles in black wool and poly faille and a shredded spiral cut oyster ruffle skirt in coral silk tulle.

Tonal poly faille ruffles are gathered on the shoulder to form a three-dimensional scultpural silhouette.

Poly faille ruffles are asymmetrically draped on the body entirely by hand.

The poly faille ruffles are engineered around the body and are as beautiful seen from the back as they are at the front of the garment.

A shirt with dropped shoulders and an exploded ruffle in William Blake Dante print cotton poplin and slim trousers in William Blake Dant print wool.
Featuring details from Illustrations to Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’, Beatrice Addressing Dante from the Car (1824-7), William Blake. Photo: Tate. Courtesy of Tate Images

Fittings take place at the Alexander McQueen atelier in London.

William Blake Dante print ruffles are placed by hand on a collarless cotton poplin shirt.

A double-breasted tailored coat with exploded ruffles in black cotton silk and poly faille and slim trousers in black cotton silk.

The rigour of the immaculate tailoring is juxtaposed with the romance of the exploded ruffles.

A cropped single-breasted tailored tuxedo jacket with exploded ruffles in black wool and poly faille and peg trousers with a tonal satin side stripe in black wool.