Alexander McQueen Launches Wales Project Featuring Young Aspiring Artists

Sarah Burton's trip to the valleys of South Wales served as inspiration for Alexander McQueen's Fall/Winter 2020 collection. This led to the subsequent launch of the Wales project, an active community formed with the help of creative director Charlotte James and documentary photographer Clémentine Schneidermann of Ffasiwn Stiwdio. Together with Burton, the duo is realizing their vision in which young artistic talent is cultivated within the local community.

The project began June 2020 at Blaenau Gwent, where James and Schneidermann worked with the brand's studio to set up workshops encompassing the fields of fashion, embroidery and photography. Coordinated by youth worker Michelle Hurter, the program kicked off with an introduction to the research methodologies and design processes behind the FW20 collection.

For the latest campaign, girls aged from 12 to 17 were encouraged to select a friend or family member to cast for the shoot. A range of custom lilac dresses from the collection was incorporated into the fitting process in conjunction with the atelier team, and the workshops were held remotely due to lockdown restrictions.

The whole process was captured through a series of photographs and sketchbooks produced by the girls. A four-day location shoot was subsequently held in several locations in Wales, resulting in a book and a fashion film.

See the newly-launched project above and below.

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