Released from the Circa vault, this archival vintage Alexander McQueen dress, designed by Lee Mcqueen is from the late designer's iconic Spring / Summer 2003 show. It was look 42 and walked the runway for the colourful finale presentation. The collection was titled "Irere" and took its lead from the people and animals of the Amazon rainforest. Lee was a master of story telling on the catwalk and the show had three distinct concepts presented as a narrative sequence: shipwrecked pirates, menacing conquistadors, and the final phase drew on the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon and the colourful plumage of the Macaw tropical birds. This digitised 'Bird-of-Paradise' print became a brand signature and was designed by Jonathan Saunders and Christopher Pearson. It was resurrected five years later across multiple looks for McQueen's Spring 2008 show.

This incredibly detailed gown is crafted with multiple layers of patterned silk-chiffon atop a vibrant azure-blue cotton lining. Designed to look like a bird of paradise, the sleeves float behind the wearer like wings and plumes of cloth appear to spout from the top of the skirt. The bustier top features the ingenious boning and corsetry that the designer was known for and the swirling skirt is lined with beige crepe. A hidden blue zip secures it at the rear. This famously documented dress is in excellent condition, still with its original tags attached - the perfect addition to the archive of an Alexander McQueen collector. Extremely rare to market, it is worthy of museum acquisition.

Made in Italy the composition label states that this piece is woven from 95% Silk, 5% Cotton, and the lining is composed from the same. It is labelled an Italian 46, UK 14, but the measurements are not generous for this size and it appears the dress has been altered and made bigger vertically along the zip opening at the back. This was purchased by a high profile client and as it has been done to such a high standard, its possible that it was done by McQueen seamstresses in-house. It is virtually impossible to tell the dress has been altered without looking inside. Our couture trained seamstress has looked this over and it is reversable should you want to return it to the original size. Our model is a UK 8-10 and 5ft 11in (180cm) and the dress was pinned on her as it was slightly roomy around the torso. We believe the present measurements suggest a good fit for sizes UK 12-14 or US 8-10.

MEASUREMENTS:

BUST - 38 in. (97 cm)

WAIST - 32 in. (81 cm)

HIP - 42 in. (107 cm)

LENGTH - 45 in. (114 cm)