Natural Dis-tinction Un-natural Selection

''Natural Dis-tinction Un-natural Selection'' is the thirty-third collection by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, made for the Spring/Summer 2009 season of his eponymous fashion house. The collection reflected McQueen's concerns about human impact on the environment, while drawing inspiration from the work of naturalist Charles Darwin. ''Natural Dis-tinction'' is known for its pioneering use of digital prints, which were engineered to match the patterns of their garments.

Two distinct phases of designs contrasted the beauty of the environment with the impact of human industry. The first phase used soft colours, organic motifs, and flowing lines to present an image of nature unspoiled by man. The second featured prints manipulated to look unnaturally perfect, with some designs in artificially bright colours and others in black and white. Across both phases, McQueen presented both classical and experimental silhouettes. Forty-one looks were presented at the collection's runway show, which was staged on 3 October 2008 at the Cent Quatre building in Paris, a community centre that was once a mortuary. The catwalk was framed by two lines of exotic taxidermy animals; a large round screen at the rear of the stage showed projections of celestial bodies and McQueen's own eyeball.

Contemporary critical response was somewhat mixed, with journalists preferring the more romantic first half of the show. Some were disappointed at the lack of runway theatrics for which McQueen had been known. McQueen continued to explore environmental themes and digital prints in his following two collections; he is credited with popularising the use of such prints in fashion. Ensembles from ''Natural Dis-tinction'' are held by various museums and have appeared in exhibitions such as the McQueen retrospective '' Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty''.

Background

British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was known for his imaginative, sometimes controversial designs, and dramatic fashion shows. During his nearly twenty-year career, he explored a broad range of ideas and themes, including historicism, romanticism, femininity, sexuality, and death. He learned tailoring as an apprentice on Savile Row, and dressmaking as head designer at French fashion house Givenchy. Although he worked in ready-to-wear – clothing produced for retail sale – his showpiece designs featured a degree of craftsmanship that verged on ''haute couture''.

McQueen's personal fixations had a strong influence on his work. He incorporated his love of animals and the environment throughout his career by using organic materials and making visual references to nature. He was fascinated with taxidermy, and owned several pieces, including stuffed alligator heads and a whole polar bear. Preserved animals and animal parts had appeared in many previous collections: '' It's a Jungle Out There'' (Autumn/Winter 1997) had jackets with horns and crocodile heads, while ''Voss'' (Spring/Summer 2001) featured a dress made with taxidermied hawks positioned as though attacking the model.

In the final years of his career, McQueen became increasingly concerned about human activity damaging the natural world. He felt that humans were beginning to overpower nature and were "in danger of killing the planet through greed", which would lead to the extinction of life on earth. Variations on these ideas formed the basis for his last three completed collections.

Concept and collection

''Natural Dis-tinction Un-natural Selection'' (Spring/Summer 2009) is the thirty-third collection McQueen made for his eponymous fashion house. According to the show's program notes, McQueen drew inspiration from the theory of natural selection as described by Charles Darwin in his seminal 1859 work ''On the Origin of Species''. ''Natural Dis-tinction'' is known for its pioneering use of digital prints, which were engineered to match the patterns of their garments, rather than the usual practice of the pattern being cut to accommodate an existing print. The collection's prints were derived from natural materials, in the latter half manipulated to appear kaleidoscopic. Two distinct phases of designs contrasted the beauty of nature with the impact of human industry.

The first portion of the collection visually referenced unspoiled nature using soft colours, natural materials like leather, delicate embroidery, loose fringe, and flowing, organic shapes. Prints in this section were floral or derived from wood grain in light shades of brown. Many designs featured embroidered floral motifs or fabric flowers. In some, the flowers were set beneath transparent tulle, evoking imagery of scientific specimens kept beneath glass, as was common in the Victorian era. The skull, by that point a McQueen signature, appeared on the front of a white minidress in Look 7.

In the second half of the collection, inspiration shifted to the industrial and modern, with two contrasting colour schemes. Some designs had patterns in artificially bright colours, while the rest were in shades of black and white. The prints in this section were still mainly derived from nature – flowers, crystals, and bones – but were digitally manipulated to look unnaturally angular and symmetrical. McQueen described the prints as organic in nature but "enhanced, synthetic - touched by man". Other prints were based on buildings like the Eiffel Tower or a photograph by Dan Holdsworth. Artificial and structured textiles predominated: Lycra for leggings and dresses, and bonded leather dyed black, calling to mind fetish wear. Some dresses and jumpsuits were encrusted with minerals; the final look was a jumpsuit covered with pieces of real amber.

Across the collection, the silhouettes were both classical and experimental. The garments were designed to fit an antique Victorian era mannequin, leading to what Susannah Frankel called a "slightly truncated hourglass silhouette". Wearable items like leggings and shift dresses hinted at McQueen's efforts to keep the collection viable for retail sales. Despite this, McQueen's characteristic tailoring appeared in precisely-cut minidresses, frock coats, and slim trouser suits. High Edwardian collars and leg-of-mutton sleeves showcased his ever-present historicist tendencies, as did designs that appeared to reference ''The Tailor's Pattern Book'' (1589) by Spanish mathematician Juan de Alcega.

McQueen had become known for playing with the silhouette by cutting or structuring garments to produce unusual shapes, and he returned to these ideas in ''Natural Dis-tinction''. The collection's more experimental designs exaggerated the wearer's body beyond natural human proportions, with cinched waists and padded shoulders and hips. Intricately folded fabric created coccoon dresses that surrounded the body. Other short dresses had structured, rounded skirts resembling bell jars.

Runway show

Staging and design

The runway show was staged on 3 October 2008 at the Cent Quatre building in Paris, a community centre that was once a mortuary. The invitation featured a lenticular portrait of McQueen that transformed into a skull. McQueen's nephew, Gary McQueen, who worked as a menswear assistant with the company, had created the skull image as a print for the menswear line. McQueen decided he wanted to use it instead and had his nephew rework it into the shifting image for the invite.

McQueen typically worked with a consistent creative team for his shows. Overall styling was handled by Tabitha Simmons, while Gainsbury & Whiting were responsible for production. Joseph Bennett, who had designed all of McQueen's runways since ''No. 13'' (Spring/Summer 1999), returned for set design. Hair was styled by Paul Hanlon, make-up by Peter Philips.

The catwalk was framed by two lines of exotic taxidermy animals, including an elephant, giraffe, and several large cats. Accordingly, the show opened with a soundtrack of animal noises – roaring, hoofbeats, and elephant calls – before transitioning to electronic dance music. A large round screen at the rear of the stage featured various projections of the Earth, the moon, and the sun, and McQueen's own eyeball. McQueen's typical runway theatrics were absent.

Show

Models were styled with see-through hairnets used as veils over their heads and faces. Author Chloe Fox felt they provided a "foetal sameness" as though the models were freshly-born specimens of a "new breed".

Forty-one looks were presented in roughly two phases. The first half of the collection featured designs that represented the natural world before human interference. These looks featured lighter colours, floral elements, and prints of wood grain. The phase closed with a trio of minidresses covered with metallic enamel flowers, contrasting the softness of the preceding items.

The second half of the show opened with a short series of tailored minidresses in brightly-coloured patterns before transitioning to eveningwear, with leather dresses and tailored patterned looks in monochrome. The final four looks were a series of dresses and jumpsuits encrusted with minerals, including the last jumpsuit, covered with pieces of real amber. After the models took their final turn, McQueen came out to take his bow in a rabbit costume.

Reception

Critical reception for ''Natural Dis-tinction'' was somewhat mixed. Anne Slowey of ''Elle'' reported that critical reception for ''Natural Dis-tinction'' was "lukewarm", but felt the industry was "charmed" by his appearance in a rabbit suit.

The environmentalist theme attracted commentary from journalists. Sarah Mower of ''Vogue'' and the staff writer for ''Women's Wear Daily'' (''WWD'') were surprised that it did not lead to the kind of dark, angry collection that McQueen was known for. Jess Cartner-Morley of ''The Guardian'' thought the theme was ironic given the use of animal materials in McQueen's designs. In an April 2009 article for ''The Independent'', Frankel considered ''Natural Dis-tinction'' the most fully-realised exploration of an environmental theme that ran through the entire Spring/Summer 2009 season. She called the collection proof that conceptual fashion no longer needed to "denote heaviness or obvious difficulty", and could still be light and commercially viable.

Critics generally preferred the first half of the collection. The ''WWD'' writer felt the first half was "more beautiful" than the latter. Mower was pleased with the romantic execution and highlighted the fringed designs as "two of the season's most sublime". Cartner-Morley felt the best designs were those which balanced "pretty and menacing" elements. Her favourite was Look 2, a minidress which featured yellow silk flowers beneath layers of see-through mesh.

Several critics noted the adherence to McQueen's typical tailored shapes. Frankel felt McQueen's workmanship was improving each season, citing his embroidery, fabric choices, and digital prints. Mower thought McQueen's choice to produce a colourful collection with "eased-up tailoring" was intended to promote sales; she felt it would be commercially viable.

Look 16, a brown bodysuit with long patterned coat, attracted commentary for its unusual, inhuman-looking design. Claire Wilcox wrote that it "stretched the thorax of the model, suggesting genetic mutation", while Katherine Gleason described the wearer as appearing like "a visiting dignitary from another planet". Both Andrew Wilson and Judith Watt described the pointed shoulders of the coat as resembling a manta ray.

Some reviewers were disappointed with the lack of runway performance art, which they had come to expect from McQueen. Despite this, the ''WWD'' reviewer considered the show a strong one with a "stunning" set and called it "among the most intriguing in a lackluster season".

Despite the mixed contemporary reception, authors have retrospectively considered the collection's ideas intriguing. Wilson felt the clothes presented "the look of an alternative species, something that might have stepped from a space-age Noah’s Ark." Chloe Fox wrote that the "thoroughly modern looks cemented McQueen’s reputation as a sartorial soothsayer, a man with a passionate commitment to the evolution of fashion".

Analysis

Wilson took the rabbit costume as a possible reference to ''Donnie Darko'' (2001), in which a man in a rabbit suit predicts the end of the world. Watt likened it to the genetically-engineered monster rabbit that causes chaos in the animated film ''Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit'' (2005).

According to O'Neill, McQueen claimed that the skull design was based on the desiccated head of Mrs. Bates seen in the film ''Psycho'' (1960), although he notes that this contradicts the actual origin of the image. O'Neill suggested that the ''Psycho'' reference indicated that McQueen was marking the collection as being of an "unnatural order", given the perverse posthumous relationship between Mrs. Bates and her son Norman Bates. In an essay about McQueen's use of death symbolism, Eleanor Townsend cited the skull image from the ''Natural Dis-tinction'' invitation as an example of the designer's awareness of his own mortality.

Fashion journalist Alex Fury argued that ''Natural Dis-tinction'' was an example of McQueen expressing his vision "through the bodies of his models" in conjunction with the stripped-down set dressing. The clothing, with its exploration of evolution and nature, is contrasted with the backdrop of the taxidermy animals. Researcher Lisa Skogh noted that McQueen often incorporated concepts and objects which might have appeared in a cabinet of curiosities – collections of natural and historical objects that were the precursor to modern museums. She identified the taxidermy animals lining the runway as part of this tradition, likening them to "a re-created Garden of Eden".

Legacy

McQueen continued to explore the impact of humanity on nature in his next two collections. ''The Horn of Plenty'' (Autumn/Winter 2009) concerned wastefulness in the fashion industry and ''Plato's Atlantis'' (Spring/Summer 2010), his final completed collection, envisioned a flooded post-climate change world. Considering the collections in retrospect, Wilcox wrote that ''Natural Dis-tinction'' clearly "foreshadowed" its "exceptionally innovative" successor, ''Plato's Atlantis'', which had similar dresses with colourful, digitally-worked patterns.

''Natural Dis-tinction'' prompted a trend for printed Lycra garments such as leggings, which reappeared in his next collections and were imitated by other brands. McQueen is credited with popularising the use of digitally-engineered prints in fashion, beginning with this collection.' He continued to experiment with this novel technique in his remaining collections.

Media and celebrity wear

Actress Cate Blanchett wore a version of Look 39, one of the crystal-covered bell jar dresses, to the Los Angeles premier of the film ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' (2008). Actress Camilla Belle wore Look 24 to the Los Angeles premier of ''Push'' (2009). ''InStyle'' magazine selected it as one of their 100 best dresses of the 2000s, saying the "extravagant" print was "incredibly flattering".

Several looks from ''Natural Dis-tinction'' have been photographed for ''Vogue''. Lachlan Bailey photographed Look 13, while Nick Knight, who worked with McQueen often, photographed one of the skeleton-printed suits. Mario Testino photographed an editorial featuring a houndstooth skirt suit in 2009. Pop singer Lady Gaga wore the one-shoulder black mermaid gown from Look 43 for a shoot by Josh Olins. Patrick Demarchelier and Tim Walker photographed Look 10 and Look 2, respectively.

Museum ownership and exhibitions

A pair of shoes from ''Natural Dis-tinction'' appeared in '' Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty'', a retrospective exhibition of McQueen's designs originally staged at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011. They were placed in the Cabinet of Curiosities section with other accessories. The image from the ''Natural Dis-tinction'' invitation, with McQueen's face shifting into a skull, was used for the front cover of the exhibition catalogue.

Three items owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art appeared in the museum's exhibition ''Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse'', originally staged in 2022: Looks 20 and 32, digitally-printed minidresses, and a pair of shoes.

When the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Australia restaged ''Mind, Mythos, Muse'', they added garments from their own collection: Look 12, a beige printed jacket and skirt set; Look 15, a fringed dress; and Look 22, a blue printed jacket and leggings set.

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External links

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Production stills from designer Joseph Bennett

{{Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen collections
2000s fashion
2009 in Paris
2009 in fashion