Reviewing the First of Three New Fashion Scarves

Today's email from Alexander McQueen promoted the label's gorgeous leopard skull scarves (available in four colors). Truly they are TDF (to die for), but this post isn't about them.

For several days, I've been stalking the fashion scarf page on both the U.K. and the U.S. sites, because their links to the limited edition Savage Beauty skull scarf was broken, and I wondered if the scarf had sold out.

  

This scarf was developed for the Metropolitan Museum's retrospective of McQueen's work, and sold out quickly at the museum store. It's been available online, and in boutiques. RM (Renaissance Man -- my husband) and I spent our 24th anniversary in Las Vegas (en route to more interesting destinations), and he greatly admired the scarf when we visited the McQueen boutique in the Wynn Las Vegas Esplanade, but he balked at its $495 price tag. He brightened up when I showed it to him on eBay for $1,000. A week later, using Skype on my iPhone while in Tulum, Mexico, I phoned my lovely SA at the boutique and ordered the scarf. I am thrilled to own and wear it; it is a true work of art that I will cherish (and wear) forever!

But, on to the topic as indicated in this post's title:

Since I've had the fashion scarf page open for a few days, when I read the email I simply refreshed the page. I saw the four leopard skull scarves that -- despite today's email promotion -- have been for sale since they replaced the Spring-Summer 2010 fashion scarves that went on sale around the first of June. However, three new scarves appeared as the last in the display.

Each season, McQueen's fashion scarves include re-interpretations and new designs, whereas the classic skull scarves are released in brilliant new colorways, but otherwise unchanged (other than variations of fabric and sizes). I don't know how deeply Lee Alexander McQueen personally was involved in the scarf designs, or if a team created new colorways and designs based on his couture designs for each season. I'd love to know about that if any reader has information.

The McQueen organization certainly must rely on scarf revenue as bread and butter income, yet the counterfeiters of McQueen skull scarves have become so adept that even experienced SAs in McQueen boutiques are beginning to find it difficult to authenticate skull scarves. Thus, it seems to me, creating new fashion scarves that gain popularity each season might be an important business and aesthetic goal for Sarah Burton and her team.

With that in mind, each of today's new scarves is worth contemplating.

First up is the Blue Armoured Skeleton and Rope silk scarf:

At 140x140 cm (55 square inches), this silk chiffon scarf will be whisper-light and voluminous. Like my limited edition Savage Beauty skull scarf, its magnificent size allows the wearer many options for showing off parts or all of the scarf's unique design. 

Examining the flat view of the entire scarf, I see an armoured skeleton in each quadrant. The breastplate of each skeleton's armour contains a shield that is covered in McQueen Tartan (I believe), which is a lovely touch. I'm happy to see repetition of several themes from earlier collections, and I also am pleased that each corner contains the "c within a Q" logo, for purely practical reasons:

If blue isn't the color you need, Zappos offers a version of this scarf in white (although it looks ivory to me).

Note: All above scarf photos in this post are © Alexander McQueen.

Alexander McQueen Scarf

The Classic Skull Scarf

Silk chiffon as light as a soufflé neutralizes the gothic sentiment of grinning skulls on Alexander McQueen's classic skull scarves. Wearing one of these scarves feels delightful; an ethereal accessory that generates an indescribable pleasure and and enhances my self-assuredness.

Currently, this light grey scarf with graphite skulls is available at Nieman Marcus.

For the most part, I can't afford McQueen's amazing, wonderful couture. How I would love to wear this dress, for example, even though I really have nowhere to wear it:

Ensemble, Widows of Culloden, AW 2006-7
Dress of McQueen Tartan; top of nude silk appliqued with lace; underskirt of cream silk tulle
From the Savage Beauty exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, NYC
Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø / Art + Commerce

But on nearly any occasion, with the simplest of outfits, I can add one of my Alexander McQueen skull scarves to uplift my spirits, elevate my state of chic, and grin at myself.

Of course, standing in the Stone Circle at Avebury, in front of the Merlin Stone, is quite an uplifting experience as well!