Images courtesy of Alexander McQueen
A lone figure walks through Glasgow’s cobblestone streets, her path illuminated by streetlamps and moonlight. As she makes her way down the rain-soaked alleyways, her pace quickens. Soon, she breaks into a full-blown sprint, her black trench coat billowing behind her. What is she running from? Or rather, what is she running towards?
No, this isn’t the start of another summer thriller. The new short film, “Lucia: The Jewelled Satchell,” is the latest collaboration between visual artist and director Sophie Muller and Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton. Moody and surreal in its noir-like imagery, the film is yet another artful enterprise borne from Muller and Burton’s ongoing creative partnership.
Earlier this year, the pair unveiled “Storm Chasing,” a film inspired by and featuring the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2022 collection. It was praised for its cinematography, which combined Muller’s award-winning direction with the collection’s striking aesthetic. Unlike “Storm Chasing,” however, “Lucia: The Jewelled Satchell” is not just a one-off piece. Rather, it presents the first installment in a future series of short films produced by the famed fashion house. Each film from the planned anthology, set to debut through 2023, will feature a different setting, story, and McQueen item. And each film will have a new McQueen woman at its center.
For “Lucia: The Jewelled Satchell,” musician Lucia Fairfull takes on the titular starring role. A close friend of the house, this is not Fairfull’s first time as a McQueen woman. She has appeared in billboards, collection campaigns, and down the McQueen runway. The film, however, presents new ground for Fairfull and further elevates her status as an eminent McQueen woman.
Shot in Fairfull’s hometown of Glasgow, the film takes the musician’s eclectic, electric energy and makes it part and parcel of the Alexander McQueen aesthetic. Whether she is meandering through the halls of Glasgow’s famous Barrowland Ballroom or ducking into a neighborhood pub for a quick pint, Fairfull is an archetypal representation of the McQueen woman in her well-tailored trench coat and daring red lip.
Of course, what is a McQueen woman without her signature McQueen item? Here, the accessory in question is a shiny, black-embossed croc iteration of the brand’s iconic Jewelled Satchel, complete with a crystal-studded skull-ring enclosure. When it debuted in 2018, the Jewelled Satchel presented a new interpretation of the classic McQueen Four Ring Clutch. It took the clutch’s signature four-ring enclosure and applied it to the satchel, with its clean rectangular lines and expanded size.
Throughout the film, the Jewelled Satchel is as much top-billing as Fairfull. As Fairfull strides down Glasgow’s streets, the Jewelled Satchel acts as a faithful companion. As the musician readies herself in her dressing room, calming her pre-show nerves, the Jewelled Satchel is poised as a steady comrade. And as Fairfull takes the stage alongside her band, Lucia and the Best Boys, the signature crystal-studded McQueen skull is ever present.
While the film may not follow the typical three-act structure, featuring instead a more experimental approach to its cinematography, it is a true embodiment of the cross-section of fashion, high-art, and film. And as we look forward to the future installments of this upcoming series, we are excited to see what new inspirations will be unveiled in this new era of the McQueen woman.
