Since vintage became all the rage on the red carpet, we’ve had stand-out moments from the likes of John Galliano, Chanel, and Mugler. But until recently, major archival McQueen sightings have been few and far between, with Kim Kardashian’s “Oyster” dress from the late designer’s spring 2003 collection–one of only two ever made–at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in 2020 being a rare exception.
Now though, it seems like we’re experiencing the beginning of a (long overdue) vintage McQueen revival, with no fewer than three stars sporting archival pieces by the designer at the SAG Awards over the weekend. In a nod to Kardashian’s “Oyster” look, West Side Story star Maddie Ziegler wowed in the sister dress from spring 2003: a sheer beige chiffon dress featuring shredded ruffle detailing, sourced from Shrimpton Couture.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Maddie Ziegler attends the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Meanwhile, vintage obsessive Laverne Cox opted for an embroidered matador coat from Alexander McQueen’s fall 1996 collection, which features an asymmetric tail and was originally worn down the runway by Helena Christensen. Then, there was Mean Girls actor Auli’i Cravalho, who opted for a more recent red halter-neck dress from pre-fall 2011–Sarah Burton’s second collection for the fashion house following McQueen’s death–also sourced from Shrimpton Couture.
“McQueen is a designer who was so ahead of his time that whenever we uncover pieces of his work, they have this uncanny ability to feel of the moment,” Cherie Balch, founder of Shrimpton Couture, tells Vogue of why she thinks there’s been a renewed spotlight on McQueen’s archive of late.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Laverne Cox attends the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/FilmMagic,)Monica Schipper
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: AuliÊ»i Cravalho attends the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on February 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage)Amy Sussman
Case in point: Zendaya’s Givenchy by Lee McQueen circuit board skirt suit from fall 1999 collection, which fit effortlessly into the actor’s Dune: Part Two press tour wardrobe this month, or Jourdan Dunn’s daring low V jumpsuit from McQueen’s spring 1997 collection for his namesake brand, which mirrored the plunging necklines we’ve already been seeing at Paris Fashion Week.
Aralda Vintage founder Brynn Jones–who is herself a McQueen collector and sourced Zendaya’s Givenchy look–is glad to see that McQueen’s designs are finding a new audience. “The more curious people are when it comes to vintage, the more educated they become about designers and all of the greats, which can breathe fresh air into things,” she says. “This younger generation might be just now learning about McQueen, so there’s a new cycle of appreciation for his work.”
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 22: Actress Zendaya attends the “Dune: Part Two” Seoul Premiere on February 22, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 18: Jourdan Dunn attends the British Vogue And Tiffany & Co. Celebrate Fashion And Film Party 2024 at Annabel’s on February 18, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)Dave Benett/Getty Images
One of the reasons we haven’t seen much vintage McQueen on the red carpet is that his original pieces are relatively rare. “With McQueen, in particular, he tended to put pieces on the runway that were different than the pieces that ended up being produced for the shops,” Balch explains. “And as much as we celebrate McQueen now, we tend to forget that he wasn’t as big a brand for many years as say Galliano or Dior were during the same time period. All that adds up to the simple fact that there are just not as many of the truly fabulous pieces out there. They are little unicorns.”