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Plato’s Atlantis, was nothing short of revolutionary. Drawing inspiration from the mythical Atlantis and Darwin’s theory of evolution, McQueen envisioned a future where humanity adapts to a flooded world, evolving into aquatic beings. The show was both a commentary on climate change and a celebration of technological innovation, leaving an indelible mark on fashion history.
The runway itself was a spectacle: two robotic cameras mimicked submarine arms, panning over the audience and models. As the first model stepped onto the runway, wearing reptilian-printed, sculptural dresses, it was clear McQueen was pushing boundaries. The digitally printed garments transformed the models into otherworldly creatures, complete with prosthetic features and towering braided hairstyles, embodying the collection’s theme of human evolution into aquatic beings.
McQueen’s notorious armadillo shoes were another highlight—12-inch heels that defied both gravity and conventional aesthetics. These grotesque yet mesmerizing creations epitomized McQueen’s ability to merge beauty and discomfort.
Beyond the designs, the show was groundbreaking for its use of technology. Plato’s Atlantis was the first fashion show to be live-streamed, thanks to a collaboration with SHOWstudio. Lady Gaga’s tweet announcing her single “Bad Romance” would debut during the show crashed the site, underscoring the growing intersection between fashion, technology, and pop culture.
The collection’s palette transitioned from earthy greens and browns to oceanic blues and aquas, reflecting the narrative of land creatures returning to the sea. McQueen’s ability to merge storytelling with cutting-edge design made this collection a masterpiece.
Tragically, Plato’s Atlantis was McQueen’s final show before his untimely passing in 2010. It remains a poignant reminder of his genius, creativity, and willingness to confront pressing global issues through his art.
The show itself
Plato’s Atlantis was shown on 6 October 2009 in an indoor arena in Paris’s 12th arrondissement as McQueen’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection. The story ran backwards through evolution: having wrecked the land, humanity returns to the ocean it came from. The show opened with snakeskin-printed shift dresses in greens and browns and ended with iridescent, jellyfish-like sheaths and scaled pieces in blues and silvers, as if the models were turning into sea creatures as they walked.
It was the last runway show McQueen staged himself. He died in February 2010, and the collection he had been working on for Autumn 2010 was later shown privately to small groups of editors.
Prints and silhouettes
Every print was engineered digitally to the shape of the garment, so the pattern followed the body rather than being cut from a bolt of cloth. Short, sculpted minidresses carried reptile scales and shimmering, jellyfish-like patterns that seemed to sit somewhere between animal and alien. Hair by Guido Palau was braided into ridges and built into tall crests, and make-up gave the models pale, alien faces, finishing the idea of a new species.
The armadillo shoes
The shoe that defined the show stands about 30 centimetres tall, with a 23-centimetre heel. Each pair was hand-carved from wood in Italy and covered in python skin, shagreen, leather or iridescent paillettes. Only 21 pairs were made for the 2009 show, with three more produced in 2015.
Not everyone was willing to walk in them. Abbey Lee Kershaw, Natasha Poly and Sasha Pivovarova refused, worried about their safety. Lady Gaga, by contrast, wore them in the “Bad Romance” video in November 2009 and again at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2015 three new pairs sold at a Christie’s charity auction for a combined $295,000, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art now owns two pairs.
The first show built for the internet
McQueen worked with Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio to stream the show live online, and two large robotic cameras ran on tracks along the runway, following the models and swinging round to film the front row. What happened on the stream was projected onto a screen in the venue, so the audience watched themselves being watched. Shortly before the show, Lady Gaga told her millions of followers that “Bad Romance” would premiere on the runway, and the site buckled under the traffic.
Knight later said the night showed brands they could speak to millions instead of the few hundred people in the room, and today almost every major show is streamed. Suzy Menkes called it “the most dramatic revolution in 21st-century fashion.” Read alongside The Horn of Plenty, the season before, it is McQueen’s clearest warning about where consumption and climate change were taking us.
Frequently asked questions
When was Plato’s Atlantis shown?
On 6 October 2009 in Paris, as Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 2010 ready-to-wear collection. It was the last runway show he staged himself.
How tall are the armadillo shoes?
About 30 centimetres (12 inches) from top to sole, with a 23-centimetre heel. They were hand-carved from wood, and only 21 pairs were made for the show.
Which models refused to wear the armadillo shoes?
Abbey Lee Kershaw, Natasha Poly and Sasha Pivovarova declined to walk in them over safety concerns.
Was Plato’s Atlantis livestreamed?
Yes. It was streamed live by Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio, and the site crashed after Lady Gaga announced that “Bad Romance” would premiere during the show.
What was the theme of Plato’s Atlantis?
A future in which melting ice caps flood the earth and humanity evolves back into life in the sea, told through the prints moving from land reptiles to sea creatures.
We do not own the rights to any of these images and they have been used in good faith. Every effort has been made to ensure that all images are used with proper credits. If you are the rightful owner of any image used on our site and wish to have it removed, please contact us at ayerhsmagazine@gmail.com and we will promptly remove it. We are a non-commercial, passion-driven, independent fashion blog and do not intend to infringe any copyright. Thank you for your understanding.
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