Alexander McQueen announced Seán McGirr as its new creative director, McQueen parent company Kering announced in a Tuesday press release.
He replaces Sarah Burton, who left the house in September after 27 years. Burton showed her final spring-summer 2024 collection for the brand on Saturday during Paris Fashion Week.
“We are delighted to welcome Seán McGirr as Creative Director,” Gianfilippo Testa, CEO of Alexander McQueen, said in the release. “With his experience, personality, and creative energy, he will bring a powerful creative language to Alexander McQueen while building on its unique heritage.”
McGirr was previously head of ready-to-wear at U.K. fashion label JW Anderson. He joined the label in 2020 as a menswear designer, and later took on womenswear design responsibilities as well.
Before that, Dublin-born McGirr designed womenswear in Antwerp for Dries Van Noten, and the Irish designer was also part of the creative team that worked on menswear for Christophe Lemaire at Uniqlo in Tokyo and Paris from 2014 to 2018. Early in his career, he assisted at both Burberry and Vogue Hommes Japan. McGirr graduated in 2014 from Central Saint Martins in London with a Master of Arts in Fashion.
“Alexander McQueen is a House we are passionate about, and we are confident that Seán McGirr will be able to pursue its journey with a new creative impetus,” François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, said in the release. We look forward to opening this new chapter in the history of this unique brand.”
Kering runs several luxury fashion, leather and jewelry brands, including Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga.
In July, the company reported H1 revenues totaling 10.1 billion euros, or approximately $10.5 billion at current exchange rates. The French group also acquired a 30% stake in Mayhoola-owned Italian luxury house Valentino that month in a deal valued at 1.7 billion euros.
