Tailored Quilt

In homage to master Welsh tailor James William, Alexander McQueen’s Women’s Tailors’ Quilt provides a highlighting historic and cultural focus onto their Autumn/Winter 2020 collection. The line has taken inspiration from the allegorical Wrexham Tailor’s Quilt on display at St Fagans National Museum of History in the National Museum of Wales – Amgueddfa Cymru. Enjoy our article Tailored Quilt

Being comprised of over four and a half thousand patches, the historic quilt was hand-stitched by master tailor James Williams through a ten-year period, beginning from 1842. The quilt remains a vital commemoration within Welsh tailoring and history for its composing of salvaged materials, sourcing from mill sample books, suits and military uniforms. Providing a record of both the materials and social history of the time in which they were made. 

Creative Director, Sarah Burton describes the collection as “a love letter to women and to families, colleagues, and friends.” Inspired by Wales’ “warm artistic and poetic heritage, its folklore and the soul of its craft.” Though most importantly, the appreciation for the traditional Welsh tailoring that holds a true representation to Welsh spirit and culture. “The woman is courageous, grounded, bold: heroic. There is a sense of protection in the clothes, of safety and comfort, evoked through quilting and blankets. The hearts are a symbol of togetherness, of being there for others.” 

Commencing the collection with a broad-shouldered, single-breasted jacket and straight-legged trousers, with its main palette ranging between black, grey, ivory and lilac. The look was upcycled from in-house stock of British worsted wools and military flannels from past seasons.

The figurative motifs are of doves, a panther, a horse and a leek embroidered by hand into the influenced James Williams-like patchwork design.

Suchlike the single-breasted jacket, British wools and military flannels from past seasons were provided for this tailors’ quilt single-breasted coat. Along with it’s swallow tail, the coat is an embroidered patchwork of red, damson, ivory, grey and black.

The coat particularly highlights McQueen’s inspiration of Williams quilt, with its warm and dark tone hue. Alongside its symbolic animal features and geometrical patterns, presenting a true homage to James William’s Wrexham Tailor Quilt, therefore a homage to authentic Welsh culture, fashion and history.

Find out more about the complete collections at Alexander McQueen.com

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