The Girl Who Lived in the Tree
Fashion collection by Alexander McQueen / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Girl Who Lived in the Tree is the thirty-second collection by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, made for the Autumn/Winter 2008 season of his eponymous fashion house. The primary inspirations were British culture and national symbols, particularly the British monarchy, as well as the clothing of India during the British Raj. The collection was presented as a fairy tale about a feral girl who lived in a tree before falling in love with a prince and descending to earth to become a princess, and the runway show was divided into two phases to represent this narrative. In the first phase, the ensembles were all in black and white, with most looks having a slim, tailored silhouette. The clothing from the second half was richly coloured, with luxurious materials and embellishments, representing the girl's transformation into a princess.
The runway show was staged on 29 February 2008 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris. The round stage was dressed in black with a black backdrop, with an enormous artificial tree in the centre wrapped in dark grey silk; it was inspired by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who were known for wrapping buildings and landmarks in fabric. Forty-two looks were presented across the two phases. The most significant items presented included a peacock headpiece by Philip Treacy, and a dress with lace peacocks.
Critical response to The Girl Who Lived in the Tree was positive, and in retrospect it is regarded as one of McQueen's best collections. Its inspiration and styling have been analysed by academics. Ensembles from the collection are held by various museums and have appeared in exhibitions such as the McQueen retrospective Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. The 2015 semi-biographical play McQueen incorporates ideas from the collection's narrative.