The bumster is back.
One of Alexander McQueen’s most iconic creations, the ultra-low-rise pants were the foundation for Seán McGirr’s spring collection, which brimmed with erotic tension.
The label’s creative director paired them with everything from military-style jackets to frilled corsets or a cropped chainmail top. McGirr also worked the swooping waistbands into skirts, bandeau shorts and cargo pants, some with open zips for added exposure.
He said the show, staged on a circular set dotted with maypoles, was inspired by “The Wicker Man,” the 1973 British folk horror film set on a fictional Scottish island where residents practice a form of Celtic paganism.
“There’s a kind of sexual energy in this film and in the girl that I wanted to put forward, and the bumster was the first thing that came to mind,” he explained in a preview. “There’s a sense of ease and casualness to it and attitude, because the silhouette in the end has a little bit of a toughness and a strength to it – and I think the McQueen woman always wants to look strong.”
In his first standalone women’s collection after three coed shows, McGirr hit his stride with a growing emphasis on daywear.
A blue police officer’s uniform shirt was sexed up with a corset, while pencil skirts came in an array of fabrications, from shredded white denim to faded floral jacquard and black leather dotted with rings and fringes. Dresses in a sizzling red rose print were slashed across the hip or fastened with corset lacing.
Having given birth to the low-rise jeans that defined the Y2K aesthetic, the bumster has lost a lot of its original power to provoke, but a couple here could still make heads swivel – namely Alex Consani’s red lace version, which was high on attitude, but a little short on toughness.
Overall, the collection reflected a more pragmatic approach that should support the ailing label’s ongoing restructuring – and McGirr still delivered some red carpet stunners.
These included a gold sequinned tank top dress with trailing white feather ruffles, and a spectacular parachute gown in a watercolor print, which he said symbolized release. McGirr pointed out a detail hidden inside the pattern: two ladybirds in amorous congress, inspired by a scene in the movie where all the insects start to mate. “It’s bonkers,” he said with a laugh.
It was the kind of detail McQueen himself would have loved.