Following the end of its 5-year McQ licence with Italian company Sinv SpA, Alexander McQueen has announced its plans for McQ's future now that it has taken up full control of the label.

McQ presents its first collection through a sample of the womenswear line for Autumn/Winter 2011. The main collections for both genders will be shown next year, including a new full range of accessories such as jewellery, bags and shoes.

Charlotte Benson shot in London wearing the new McQ collection

In keeping with its youthful spirit, McQ will be launched with a film (instead of a lookbook) that shows four girls in different environments, dressed in outfits from the collection and talking about their lives.

The new McQ team is led by creative director Sarah Burton, who worked with Lee McQueen (founder of the brand) since 1996. Working with Sarah is a new group of designers headed by Pina Ferlisi.

According to Pina, the new collection will feature many recognisable Alexander McQueen signature looks and, of course, be of impeccable quality. Reworked references to school uniforms, tuxedos, military apparel and fetish wear, some limited-edition pieces might only have as few as 10 of each style.

Alexander McQueen presents McQ F/W 2011 Collection through a series of short films

Alexander McQueen’s president, Jonathan Akeroyd, said: “McQ is a brand within a brand, but not a second line. The essence of the brand is such that it can appeal to both the high end luxury consumer as well as a more fashion savvy younger audience”.

This unconventional move demonstrates the brand’s desire to appeal to a younger audience through media that is modern and creative. A further example of this is Alexander McQueen’s newly launched blog www.m-c-q.tumblr.com. According to Akeroyd, McQ wants to make use of social media platforms in order to create a more direct relationship with its fans.

Marina Felippe