Seán McGirr Named Creative Director Of Alexander McQueen

KERING-OWNED BRAND ALEXANDER MCQUEEN ANNOUNCED THAT SEAN MCGIRR IS THE HOUSE’S NEW CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SUCCEEDING SARAH BURTON. MCGIRR WAS MOST RECENTLY HEAD OF MENSWEAR FOR JW ANDERSON.

LONDON — Kering and Alexander McQueen just named Sean McGirr to succeed Sarah Burton at the creative helm.

McGirr was most recently head of menswear at JW Anderson.

Like Burton, the Dublin-born McGirr was educated in England, and sees the streets of London as endless inspiration.

A photographer as well as a designer, sources say McGirr has a sharp eye, and a feel for fabric.

McGirr’s MA graduate collection at Central Saint Martins included white denim marred with ballpoint pen scribbles. At the time, he told The Irish Times that he loved working with denim because it can be “reworked and reworked and reworked.”

In the same story he described it as easy to work with, “but then you finish it like you would a tailored jacket or you do a huge amount of hand-stitching and make it really beautiful.”

McGirr was also among the last students to study under British professor of fashion design Louise Wilson. Before her death in 2014, Wilson was based at the Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London.

Wilson mentored and shaped the careers of designers including Christopher Kane, Roksanda Ilincic and Mary Katrantzou.

Before joining JW Anderson, McGirr worked at Dries Van Noten on the womenswear collection. His résumé also includes stints at Burberry and Christophe Lemaire for Uniqlo.

Very early in his career, he worked for Vogue Hommes International Japan and Taiwanese fabric producer Singtex. He has also worked as a writer for the trend-forecasting company Stylus.

Gianfilippo Testa, chief executive officer of Alexander McQueen, said “With his experience, personality and creative energy, [McGirr] will bring a powerful creative language to Alexander McQueen while building on its unique heritage.”

François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, said the company was “confident that McGirr will be able to pursue [the McQueen] journey with a new creative impetus. We look forward to opening this new chapter in the history of this unique brand.”

As of the time of publishing, Kering didn’t mention when McGirr’s first collection for the label would be.

Photos Credit: Instagram Reproduction

Source: WWD