Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 1999 Collection, titled No. 13, made a striking impression during the V&A’s Fashion in Motion event in June 1999. The runway, designed by Joseph Bennett, featured an unvarnished wooden stage. McQueen’s inspiration for this collection stemmed from the late Victorian Arts and Crafts Movement, emphasizing handcrafted elements. The designs incorporated wood, leather, lace, and raffia. Notably, models wore balsa-wood skirts that mimicked fan spines and winged bodices made of the same wood, connecting organic materials with celestial themes.
The juxtaposition of natural and traditional aesthetics was underscored by a soundtrack from American hip-hop artists, the Beastie Boys. Aimee Mullins, a Paralympic athlete, graced the runway wearing hand-carved elm prosthetic legs, reminiscent of Baroque carver Grinling Gibbons. McQueen experimented with bodily forms, using hard leather bodices to create restrictive carapaces. Mesh crinolines and tiered lace skirts softened the aesthetic, evoking romance and beauty. The collection’s standout piece, a lace dress with a molded brown leather collar, earned the prestigious title of ‘Dress of the Year’ for the second time. The finale was a spectacle: former ballerina Shalom Harlow stood between two industrial robots, engaging in a dance before the robots transformed into predators, spraying black and acid-yellow paint at her pristine white trapeze dress.
