Alexander McQueen Appoints Seán McGirr as Creative Director
Just days after Sarah Burton took her final bow at the historic label’s helm.
Three days after Sarah Burton presented her final collection for Alexander McQueen, the Kering-owned label has revealed the revered designer’s successor. Seán McGirr, who previously headed ready-to-wear at JW Anderson, will assume the top seat at the brand, taking the torch from Burton to lead the British fashion house into its next chapter.
Burton announced her exit last month, noting that her final collection for the label would be Spring/Summer 2024, which she presented during Paris Fashion Week on Saturday. Burton, who studied at Central Saint Martins, began working at McQueen in 1996. Following an internship, she became McQueen’s personal assistant, and she was promoted to head of womenswear in 2000. 10 years later, Burton was named the brand’s creative director. Now, McGirr will be tasked with building on Burton’s label-defining codes, which were most notably celebrated for their signature femininity.
McGirr, another Central Saint Martins graduate who began his career assisting at Burberry and Vogue Hommes Japan, boasts an impressive resume that will help him fill Burton’s big shoes. On top of his work at JW Anderson, the designer previously led womenswear for Dries Van Noten between 2018 and 2020. Prior to that, McGirr served as part of Uniqlo’s creative offices in Tokyo and Paris, under Christophe Lemaire’s governance, from 2014 to 2018.
“We are delighted to welcome Seán McGirr as creative director,” said Gianfilippo Testa, CEO of Alexander McQueen. “With his experience, personality, and creative energy, he will bring a powerful creative language to Alexander McQueen while building on its unique heritage.”
Fraçois-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, added, “Alexander McQueen is a House we are passionate about, and we are confident that Seán McGirr will be able to pursue its journey with a new creative impetus. We look forward to opening this new chapter in the history of this unique brand.”
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