Sarah Burton to leave Alexander McQueen
After 13 years at the helm, Sarah Burton is set to leave Alexander McQueen. The designer – who will present her final collection, for spring/summer 2024, in Paris at the end of September – has announced that she is parting ways with the fashion house that she has worked at for over two decades.
"I am so proud of everything I’ve done and of my incredible team at Alexander McQueen," Burton said in a statement today. "They are my family, and this has been my home for the past 26 years. I want to thank François-Henri Pinault for believing in me and offering me this amazing opportunity. Above all, I want to thank Lee Alexander McQueen. He taught me so much, and I am eternally grateful to him. I am looking forward to the future and my next chapter and will always carry this treasured time with me."
Burton arrived at the fashion house as an intern in 1996, and returned as soon as she graduated. She worked closely with the house's late founder, Lee McQueen, and was promoted to head of design for womenswear in 2000. She was then chosen to take over as creative director after McQueen sadly passed away.
During her time at the house, she has made a huge impact on the global fashion industry, picked up various prestigious awards, and was responsible for designing one of the most famous dresses of this generation, Kate Middleton's wedding gown.
François-Henri Pinault – the CEO of Kering, the luxury conglomerate which owns McQueen – praised Burton's attention to detail and hard work in a heartfelt statement released today.
"I am immensely grateful to Sarah, and I want to personally thank her for her work over the past two decades, first alongside Lee Alexander McQueen, where her role was instrumental to his success, and then as the creative director since 2010. Through her own experience, sensitivity and talent, Sarah continued to evolve the artistic expression of this iconic house. She kept and continued Lee’s heritage, attention to detail and unique vision, while adding her own personal, highly creative touch.”
Meanwhile, Gianfilippo Testa, the CEO of Alexander McQueen, commented that Burton had left an "indelible mark" on the fashion house.
Kering is yet to announce any further news regarding the company's future, and who may step into Burton's shoes, but the company has confirmed that the SS24 show will mark the designer's final collection for the house.
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