Alexander McQueen Enameled Flower Box Clutch

Dark, gothic, haunting and captivating have always been words in the Alexander McQueen vocabulary, under the watch of its founder and his predecessor, Sarah Burton. It seems fitting then that animator Sarah Beeby took the same inspiration for her

Dark, gothic, haunting and captivating have always been words in the Alexander McQueen vocabulary, under the watch of its founder and his successor, Sarah Burton. It seems fitting then that animator Sarah Beeby took the same inspiration for her film featuring an A/W12 Alexander McQueen clutch, with skull clasp, available from NET-A-PORTER.COM. The film's sinister tones are perfectly in-keeping with the recent ghoulish Halloween festivities and this evening's bonfire celebrations.

"Its red, purple and pink enameled paillette roses contrast with the sinister skull fastening"

The striking animated short, handdrawn by Beeby, opens with a flock of birds flying out of gothic ruins. Birds are a frequent motif in the McQueen back catalogue. In S/S95, McQueen dedicated his collection to Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, showing suits and skirts printed with bird silhouettes. In his breath-taking S/S01 show, which recreated a photograph by Joel-Peter Witkin, McQueen's models watched themselves in a two-way mirror, walking around an inner cube which opened to reveal a naked body covered in butterflies and moths. Maggie Rizer appeared in a striking bird ensemble with a headpiece. In his A/W09 show entitled 'Horn of Plenty', McQueen revisited his past collections including The Birds. Garments made entirely of gull and crow feathers made models into bird-like creatures.

AnOther's current obsession, the McQueen enameled flower box clutch, is a fascinating object in itself. Its metal frame structure takes its inspiration from art deco designs, when women would favour hard case purses as opposed to soft leather ones. Its red, purple and pink enameled paillette roses contrast with the sinister Swarovski crystal and enamel-embellished skull lock fastening – a typical McQueen juxtaposition.

Text by Laura Bradley