Perched on the rugged shores of Carmarthenshire, Wales, Llansteffan Castle serves as the dramatic setting for Alexander McQueen‘s SS25 campaign. Guided by photographer and director Glen Luchford, the campaign crafts a visual narrative that is as mystical as it is modern, exploring themes of folklore and self-expression. The campaign unfolds through a cast of characters, each navigating the castle’s historic halls, windswept land, and the nearby shore, connected by an enigmatic and almost supernatural force that the light of the liminal hours seems to intensify.
Creative Director Seán McGirr draws deep into the wells of his Irish heritage and childhood memories, resurrecting the folkloric banshee, a figure often shrouded in terror and mystery, as the campaign’s central muse. “The banshee was a figure that was very present in my childhood imagination growing up in Ireland and she has recently taken on new meaning for me,” McGirr shares. He reinterprets this spectral figure not as a harbinger of death but as a symbol of assertive expression, whose haunting cries now call for freedom and connection.
Прикажи ову објаву у апликацији Instagram
The collection itself is an embodiment of the banshee’s spirit. It features a stark contrast between the sharp, twisted tailoring that McQueen is renowned for, and the ethereal touch of fabrics like cobweb lace, pleated chiffon, silk creponne, and shredded silk organza. These materials are hand-finished with intricate detailing. The color palette, dominated by ivory, silvered grey, and black, punctuated with unexpected bursts of yellow and orange, mirrors the interplay of strength and fragility inherent in the banshee’s lore.
Accessories in the collection take a sculptural form, with jewellery pieces inspired by the tokens of the banshee’s mythology, adding a tangible connection to the ethereal narrative. Each piece seems to hold a story, a remnant of the lore that inspired them, crafted to complement the clothing’s haunting beauty.
Through this campaign, McQueen does not just present a collection but invites us into a narrative steeped in cultural memory and personal identity. McGirr’s vision for the Spring/Summer 2025 line challenges us to find beauty in the eerie and power in the mythical, reinforcing Alexander McQueen’s legacy of pushing boundaries and exploring the depths of creativity
