Cover There’s something about seeing that familiar skull motif back on the runway that feels nostalgic, but at the same time, very McQueen (Photo: Alexander McQueen)
There’s something about seeing that familiar skull motif back on the runway that feels nostalgic, but at the same time, very McQueen (Photo: Alexander McQueen)
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With Alexander McQueen’s return to London Fashion Week, the iconic skull is back in the spotlight
Two of the Big Four fashion weeks are down, and London is now in the spotlight. This week, the British capital welcomes some of its biggest names, from Burberry and Erdem to Simone Rocha and Richard Quinn, alongside Christopher Kane’s debut at Mulberry and, most notably, Alexander McQueen’s return to the London Fashion Week schedule.
But there’s one look from McQueen’s latest collection that has been stuck in my mind: that dramatic skull dress. The moment I saw it, I was immediately reminded of the golden days of the house’s iconic Skull Scarf, the accessory that became almost synonymous with the McQueen name in the 2000s and was spotted on everyone from Kate Moss, Kim Kardashain and Nicole Richie to Johnny Depp. There’s something about seeing that familiar skull motif back on the runway that feels nostalgic, but at the same time, very McQueen.
Above Kim Kardashian wearing the Alexander McQueen scarf (Photo: Getty Images)
Kim Kardashian wearing the Alexander McQueen scarf (Photo: Getty Images)
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When you think of McQueen, chances are the first thing that comes to mind is Lee McQueen’s iconic Skull Scarf. It became one of the most recognisable accessories of the 2000s, turning the skull from a recurring motif in his collections into a fashion symbol in its own right.
But the story of the skull goes back much further than the scarf. Lee McQueen had long been fascinated by death, mortality and the darker side of beauty, weaving those ideas into his collections in ways that were dramatic, romantic and sometimes unsettling. By the time the Skull Scarf arrived, the skull was already very much a part of the McQueen DNA.
Above Alexander McQueen's S/S 2027 (Photo: Alexander McQueen)
Alexander McQueen's S/S 2027 (Photo: Alexander McQueen)
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Before the Skull scarf, there was Lee McQueen
Above Alexander McQueen's A/W 1996 collection (Photo: Getty Images)
Alexander McQueen's A/W 1996 collection (Photo: Getty Images)
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Long before the skull became the McQueen motif we know today, Lee McQueen was already drawn to the darker side of beauty. Death, nature and the idea of life being fleeting came up time and again in his work, often through the Victorian concept of memento mori, a reminder of our own mortality.
One of the clearest examples came with his Autumn/Winter 1996 collection, 'Dante'. Staged at Christ Church in Spitalfields, London, the show opened with a skeleton sitting among the audience, setting the tone for a collection filled with references to religion, war and death. It sounds dramatic, but that was McQueen: he had a way of taking something dark and turning it into something strangely beautiful, romantic and, more often than not, unforgettable.
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The Skull Scarf becomes a cult icon
Above Alexander McQueen's S/S 2003 (Photo: Getty Images)
Alexander McQueen's S/S 2003 (Photo: Getty Images)
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It was in 2003 that the skull began taking on a life of its own. For Spring/Summer 2003, Lee McQueen introduced the now-famous Skull Scarf as part of his 'Irere' collection, wrapping delicate silk in rows of tiny skulls. It also landed at just the right time. Grunge, rock and punk were still influencing fashion, so the mix of floaty silk and tiny skulls felt like the perfect combination of pretty and rebellious.
The scarf quickly became one of those fashion pieces you could spot from across the room. It was worn slung around the neck, tied to handbags or draped over shoulders, bringing a little bit of McQueen’s darker edge to an otherwise simple look; you could wear a black tank top with jeans and top it off with the scarf, and it just completes the look. There was something about the contrast that worked: feminine silk on one side, rows of tiny skulls on the other.
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Back in the 2000s, the Skull Scarf was rarely just worn as a scarf. People turned it into halter tops, dresses, tied it onto handbags or draped it over their shoulders. Half the fun was seeing what people would do with it next.
And now, more than two decades after McQueen last showed in London, that familiar skull is back on the runway. For anyone who remembers the Skull Scarf era, there’s something nostalgic about seeing it again. For everyone else, it’s a reminder of why this little piece of silk became such a big part of McQueen’s story.
The scarf may be a 2000s classic, but the skull is clearly still having its moment.
Aliya Qarina is the Junior Style Writer at Tatler Malaysia with an interest in fashion and beauty. Her writing often focuses on contemporary style, beauty culture and emerging trends.
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