Youth Of Tomorrow

The magic of wales inspired the house of Alexander McQueen to give back to the community in a dreamy collaboration starring its youth

- Amanda Leo

Alexander McQueen’s latest collaborators are a group of bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked Welsh teenagers. Specifically, 12- to 17-year-olds — gathered together by creative director Sarah Burton as part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to fashion education.

Entitled “Last Summer in Wales”, the idea for the photography-based project came about when Burton retreated to the idyllic region in the south of Wales two summers ago. There, she drew inspiration for FW’20 from its rich heritage and captivating folklore. Tales of fairies and creatures in the lake, coupled with Welsh traditions (like painting the roofs of houses red to ward off evil) gave rise to a powerfully romantic collection that made women heroines.

But Burton couldn’t get the magic of the valleys out of her head, wanting a “practical connection” with the community that had inspired her so much while she was there. While in Wales, she was introduced to Charlotte James and Clémentine Schneidermann, who regularly host workshops and organise exhibitions for youths in underfunded areas through a creative studio called Ffasiwn Stiwdio.

Conversations between the trio sparked the idea for the year-long community project with the house of McQueen — the house would partner Ffasiwn Stwidio on creative workshops to introduce teens into the inner workings of a major fashion brand, and teach them hands-on skills like model casting, embroidery and clothing customisation.

“Transformative things can happen everywhere when empowering equal access to creative ideas,” said Burton, who started her career as an intern under the late founder. “Offering creative opportunities to young people is at the heart of what we believe at Alexander McQueen.”