Sarah Burton to leave fashion house Alexander McQueen after two decades

Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen who designed the Princess of Wales' wedding dress, is leaving the fashion house after more than two decades.

In a statement released Monday, Kering, the brand's parent company, announced that its September 30 show during Paris Fashion Week will be Burton's last.

“We would like to express our immense gratitude to Sarah for writing such an important chapter in the history of the House of Alexander McQueen. Sarah's contribution over the past 26 years will leave an indelible mark," said Gianfilippo Testa, chief executive of Alexander McQueen.

Kering said Burton's successor would be announced "in due course".

The Macclesfield-born designer first joined the brand in 1996 during an internship year while studying at Central Saint Martins in London. She returned after graduating and just two years later, in 2000, she was appointed head of womenswear design.

After the brand's founder, Lee Alexander McQueen, died in 2010, she was named his successor and tasked with carrying on his legacy.

A year later, Burton gained international fame when it was revealed that she was the designer behind the Princess of Wales' wedding dress.

At the time, Clarence House said it had chosen the British brand “for the beauty of its craftsmanship”. Burton described the process of creating the lace dress with an 8-foot train as "the experience of a lifetime."

She remained the designer of choice of the princess for events, including wedding. of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018 and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

In 2012, Burton was awarded the Order of the British Empire ( OBE) for his services. to the British fashion industry.

His departure was announced as part of a wider restructuring at Kering, which also owns Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta.

McQueen, who founded the brand in 1992, sold a majority stake to the Gucci group – now merged with Kering – in 2001.

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