Alexander McQueen SS11: against the grain

It goes without saying that Sarah Burton has mammoth shoes to fill; but this is a woman who well and truly knows how to capture the essence of Alexander McQueen. The label's Spring 2011offering under her hand is brilliantly ornate, fantastical, thematic; as we'd come to expect of the late designer. There are places where the collection doesn't reach the same level of coherence or refinement as it would if McQueen himself were behind it, but it's necessary for Burton to bring her own style to the house. The collection's inspirations are rooted firmly in nature, with garments made up of butterflies, sheaths of wheat, masses of pheasant feathers... the types of pieces that fashion editors worldwide will be clamouring to work with. And then of course there's the shoes and accessories: statement pieces well worth snapping up.