Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton has always been pretty shy about the notoriety that comes with helming such an important fashion house. After McQueen (called “Lee” by Burton and personal friends of the late designer) committed suicide in 2010, Burton was appointed head of the fashion house that boasts such a haunting legacy. Obviously, in the years following, she’s done the label a great service, carrying on the spirit of McQueen with her own gentle, less tortured take on his aesthetic.
Burton sat down with the Telegraph to talk about life four years after the passing of McQueen, her childhood and — the question everyone seems to be dying to ask her three years later — what it was like designing Kate Middleton‘s wedding dress.
Burton has kept pretty quiet about the experience, mostly because of her penchant for privacy, but tells the Telegraph all about designing the wedding dress that will be etched on our minds for generations to come. “I know we live in a culture obsessed with fame, but I happen to believe privacy is a virtue, and the relationship I have with my clients is private,” she said. “I loved making the dress, I loved adapting my ideas to suit the person and the occasion, and we put our hearts into it. I respect the intimate nature of that lovely project and I respect the friendships that were forged during it.”
It’s hard to believe that with all her success at McQueen, Burton at one time was thinking of leaving. Right after Lee died, she was approached to head another major fashion house. A co-worker told her that she would be forever haunted if she stayed at McQueen. She didn’t accept — and the house is better for it today.
[via The Telegraph]
