McQueen enlists musicians for Spring 2026 campaign
Alexander McQueen creative director Seán McGirr has enlisted five women, including musicians Caroline Polachek and Celeste, for the brand's Spring 2026 campaign. The casting focuses on cross-disciplinary talent and shapes campaign content around their personal narratives. This approach treats the campaign team as a creative collective rather than following a traditional top-down hierarchy.
- The campaign was shot by photographer Harley Weir with a set designed by Shona Heath, featuring a stark, earthy landscape with a lone, leafless tree meant to evoke a collision of the primitive and the urban. - In addition to the named musicians, the campaign also features Amy Taylor of the punk band Amyl and the Sniffers, as well as models Alex Consani and Sora Choi. - This campaign supports Seán McGirr’s second collection for the house, which drew inspiration from folk horror, particularly Robin Hardy's 1973 film *The Wicker Man*. - McGirr’s debut collection for Fall 2024 referenced Lee McQueen's Spring 1995 "The Birds" show, signaling a shift from the style of his predecessor, Sarah Burton, toward what he described as "rough glamour" and "playful aggression." - The Spring 2026 collection reintroduces several house signatures, including the low-cut "Bumster" trousers, the "Manta" bag, and the "horn heel," which was revived from the 2003 archives. - McGirr was appointed creative director in October 2023, following Sarah Burton's 13-year tenure; his previous role was Head of Ready-to-Wear at JW Anderson, and he has also designed for Dries Van Noten and Uniqlo. - The soundtrack for the Spring 2026 runway show was an original score by producer A.G. Cook, known for his work in the hyperpop genre, and mixed cinematic, elemental sounds with syncopated techno beats.
