Alexander McQueen distinguished himself from other designers throughout his career by creating extraordinary garments and staging elaborate catwalk shows. Rather than merely showcasing his garments, McQueen approached the concept of the catwalk as an opportunity for performance that aimed to entertain as well as exhibit his collections. Many of McQueen’s catwalks featured references to film, seen either within the garments showcased or in the theatrical elements of the catwalk, including set, lighting design, and sound. Through analysing a selection of these performative catwalks alongside the films they reference, this dissertation explores McQueen’s translation of themes and imagery from the horror genre into his own catwalk shows. From cult classics such as Tony Scott’s The Hunger (1983) to Hollywood blockbusters like Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980), McQueen dedicated entire shows to the cinematic worlds seen within these horror films. Horror film references can also be seen within McQueen’s catwalk shows in less overt ways, thematically, visually and with regards to use of setting. Films such as Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) and Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976) are a testament to this. This dissertation navigates the ways in which McQueen used films of the horror genre as a catalyst for his catwalk shows, as well as making links between the iconography of the horror genre and images from McQueen’s catwalks.
