A striking and highly collectible Alexander McQueen Resort 2019 silk dress, featuring the collection’s distinctive black-and-ivory seashell print documented within Resort 2019 Look 37.
Designed under Sarah Burton, Alexander McQueen’s Resort 2019 collection drew inspiration from the natural world, Victorian collecting and the story of pioneering British fossil hunter Mary Anning, whose discoveries along England’s Jurassic Coast became an important reference for the season. Shells, fossils and natural-history imagery were translated into elaborate prints and embellishments throughout the collection.
The distinctive conchology-inspired seashell print featured on this dress is documented in Look 37 of the Resort 2019 collection, where the same visual language appears across a sharply tailored jacket and coordinating trousers. The dress offered here is a different silhouette from Look 37, translating the collection print into a softer, fluid silk design.
Rendered in a warm ivory ground with intricately illustrated black and grey seashells, the textile recalls antique scientific and natural-history engravings. Scallops, conches, spiral shells and other marine forms are arranged throughout the silk, creating a graphic pattern that is immediately recognizable as part of the season.
The dress is cut from 100% silk in a relaxed shift silhouette. A high mock neckline extends into exceptionally long self-fabric scarf ties that can be left dramatically draped down the front, wrapped around the neck or tied into a bow.
Soft gathering through the shoulders creates volume through the long balloon sleeves, which taper into fitted button cuffs. The otherwise streamlined body falls loosely through the waist and hips to a mini-length hem, balancing the dramatic neckline and sleeves. A small keyhole opening with button fastening finishes the back neckline.
The result is a distinctly Sarah Burton-era McQueen piece: romantic and feminine in silhouette while rooted in historical research and the natural-world iconography central to the house.
COLLECTION DOCUMENTATION
The seashell/conchology print is documented in Alexander McQueen Resort 2019 Look 37, where related shell imagery appears across a coordinating tailored jacket and trouser ensemble. The offered dress is a different style and silhouette utilizing the collection’s documented seashell motif.
Designer: Alexander McQueen
Creative Director: Sarah Burton
Collection: Resort 2019 / Cruise 2019
Collection Documentation: Seashell print documented in Resort 2019 Look 37
Style: Seashell Print Silk Scarf-Tie Mini Dress
Color: Ivory / Black / Grey
Print: Seashell / Conchology / Natural History
Marked Size: IT 40
Approximate US Size: US 4 / Small
Country of Manufacture: Italy
Exterior Composition: 100% Silk
Lining: 74% Acetate / 26% Silk
Silhouette: Relaxed shift / mini
Neckline: High mock neck with elongated scarf ties
Sleeves: Long gathered balloon sleeves with fitted cuffs
Closure: Back keyhole with button closure
Approximate Measurements
Taken flat and provided as a guide:
Shoulder to Shoulder: approximately 15.5"
Bust: approximately 20.5" across / 41" circumference
Waist: approximately 22" across / 44" circumference
Hips: approximately 22" across / 44" circumference
Sleeve Length: approximately 22.5"
Center Back Length: approximately 34"
Please compare measurements to a similar garment that fits well. Due to the relaxed construction, measurements may not correspond directly to standard body measurements.
Condition
Very Good Pre-Owned Condition.
Light soiling is present on one of the elongated neck/scarf ties, as shown in the detailed photographs. There are little to no other visible signs of wear consistent with the garment’s age and previous use.
Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.
A particularly compelling example for collectors of Sarah Burton-era Alexander McQueen, combining a documented Resort 2019 collection motif with an elegant and highly wearable silk silhouette.
