Favorite Designer Kate Middleton: How Sarah Burton Saved Her Teacher's Business and Lead the Alexander McQueen Brand

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the world of fashion, it is important not only to leave your mark, but also to bring up a worthy replacement - those who will continue your work and give new life to your creation. The early departure of Alexander McQueen seemed to be a ruin for his fashion house as well. And he would, if back in 1996 a timid student of St. Martins College had not knocked on the door of his workshop. Thus began a love story that has been going on for many years - the love of Sarah Burton and the Alexander McQueen brand …

Sarah Burton was born in East Cheshire, in a large family. It was 1974. She was interested in art since childhood. Sarah's brother and sister loved music and made a career in the field, and Sarah loved drawing more than anything else. She dreamed of going to Oxford, but became interested in fashion. When Sarah was in her third year at the College of Art and Design. Saint Martin (and St. Martins is known as a real forge of talent in the fashion industry), her curator invited her to interview for an internship with a friend. And this friend was a young but already infamous designer Alexander McQueen.

In those years, Alexander McQueen's masterpieces were created in a half-empty basement on a quiet street. Of the equipment, there was only a table for cutting fabrics. When Sarah Burton got there, McQueen was busy… setting fire to his coat. He explained that this was David Bowie's order and that the fabric needed to be aged. He also asked Sarah if she believed in the existence of UFOs. The girl answered in the affirmative. So Burton got to Alexander McQueen and stayed for a long time - and hopes that forever. She worked there as an intern for a year. In college, she learned to invent, create, invent - but had no idea about the technological side of the process. Her first task was to cut the skirt obliquely and sew in an invisible zipper - and Sarah was frightened even of a sewing machine, like an unknown animal! She had to do everything by hand, she was afraid to fail, not to cope, at night she laid and unstitched lines … However, McQueen treated the young trainee carefully and caringly - there was not a drop of arrogance or selfishness in him, he knew how to be friends and appreciated the people around him. He patiently taught Burton everything he knew and could. And what he knew and knew how, it seemed to Sarah to be real magic. He created amazing things out of garbage - literally out of garbage. He constantly experimented with technologies, designs, materials and processing methods, endlessly strived for new things. He was able to turn a sketch into a real thing that fashionistas and fashionistas all over the world would desire. Sarah was always worried about how to sell these fantastic creations, because a thing should not hang on a hanger forever - it should be worn by a living person. McQueen taught her how to balance creativity and commerce, so as not to betray herself. And find inspiration everywhere. He said: "It doesn't matter if someone likes it or not, let them hate what we do, the main thing is that we love it ourselves." Sarah, who is not particularly keen on interviews, repeats his words over and over again during her rare speeches and conversations. And he carefully keeps the jacket that McQueen gave her as a real talisman for good luck.

Burton graduated from college in 1997 and became McQueen's personal assistant. Three years later, he entrusted her to work on the women's clothing line of his brand. Burton designed dresses for Michelle Obama, Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga … Alexander McQueen was her teacher, mentor and friend all these years. And then one day he disappeared. He was found dead in his own apartment. "Look after my dogs, I'm sorry, I love you, Lee" - these were the last words of the designer, written on a piece of paper. His death was a real tragedy for the entire fashion world - but especially for Sarah. It seemed that there would be nothing more - gloomy romance and desperate rebellion, flowers and deer antlers, ghosts of Scotland and crazy antics … It seemed that McQueen's creation would die with him.

And while Burton was part of the brand almost from the very beginning, many doubted that she would be able to lead it. As well as Sarah herself. However, what her teacher created and loved was not supposed to disappear. And so Burton decided to take the reins of power - knowing full well that her every action, every collection and every single thing would be compared to what McQueen did. The comparison is not in her favor.

So it was with the first independent collection of Sarah Burton, which was smashed to smithereens by critics and ordinary fans of the brand. However, for a decade, Alexander McQueen has been keeping afloat and not losing ground. Sarah Burton creates truly English fashion, inspired by the Middle Ages, ancient traditions, poetry, mysterious gardens, gloomy castles, quiet family evenings and the harsh nature of Great Britain.

Fine china and broken hearts of romantic heroines, fogs and crafts with centuries of history, beekeeping and battles - all this is intertwined in Sarah Burton's collections, just as Scottish widows and punks went hand in hand in McQueen's collections.

Sarah Burton designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress - simple, graceful and romantic. Who would have known what a dramatic story lies behind its creation! The meetings between Burton and Kate Middleton were carefully hidden, the designer did not tell anyone about her responsible order for the light - and at the same time secretly hired a whole regiment of craftswomen from the Royal School of Embroidery. So Kate Middleton became a big fan of Alexander McQueen, and Sarah Burton gained stellar status in the ranks of British designers.

However, Sarah Burton's life is not limited to the Alexander McQueen brand. She is happily married to photographer David Burton. In 2013, she became the mother of twins. The family rarely appears in the world, leads a secluded and measured lifestyle, but when the camera lenses catch Sarah at some social event, she is wearing vintage Alexander McQueen things, created by her teacher. And this is the same declaration of love for Lee Alexander McQueen, as every interview and every collection.