Conceived during the Great Recession, which began in 2007, The Horn of Plenty critiqued financial and social structures – including the fashion industry and its reliance on overconsumption – that had imperilled the world’s economies. The collection’s title connotes bounty, and is also the name of the hotel where the final victim of Jack the Ripper (the inspiration behind McQueen’s first collection) was last seen. The runway presentation for the collection was subversive, whimsical and performative, elevating trash and repurposing jewellery, headpieces, stage props and songs from McQueen’s previous shows.
Alexander McQueen, Look 15 (detail), from the Horn of Plenty collection, autumn–winter 2009–10,
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, 10 March 2009.
Photo © Robert Fairer
© Alexander McQueen
Model: Kamila Filipcikova
