McQueen for Halloween

With Halloween just a few weeks away, macabre infused images abound--which I love. It is difficult to trace my love affair with morbid iconography back to its origins, but it was most likely born from the happy marriage of The Phantom of the Opera, the art of Gustave Doré, the crystal skull earrings my mother gave me when I was little, The Goonies, my Daddy's paintings, and my general fixation with all things slightly melancholy.

Since then, the illustrious Jolly Roger has skyrocketed in popularity, becoming the go-to punk/pop/prep symbol. These days, it seems that skull and crossbones are everywhere--but not necessarily done right. In my view, less is almost always more, and the incorporation of skull imagery in fashion is a precise art, most effective when contrasted against traditional silhouettes and luxurious fabrics. Some have done it well, and still others have done it better, but this Halloween, nothing--and no one--does it quite like Alexander McQueen.

Alexander McQueen is what some might consider a fashion prodigy. After dropping out of school at the age of sixteen to pursue a career in fashion, his degree collection from Central Saint Martins' Masters program was instantly snatched up by fashion icon/editor Isabella Blow. Since then, the McQueen label has become renowned for its glamorous statement pieces and signature attitude of sophistication and, sometimes, darkness. Not surprisingly, his recent collection is no exception. Especially in the handbag department.

This Halloween, all I want in my goody bag is McQueen's striking Knuckle Duster Clutch. To the best of my recollection, I have never seen a handbag that is simultaneously so functional, yet so completely and totally rockstar. In fact, the functionality of this clutch is the most rockstar thing about it: little bit of bling (check), brass knuckles conveniently doubling as a handle and clasp (double check), and a few skulls for good measure (triple check). Come October 31, with this clutch in hand, you wouldn't need--or want!--a costume to feel like a new person. So give me tricks, give me treats, but--pleeease--give me McQueen for Halloween!

Image: (1) Knuckle Duster clutch $,1595 by Alexander McQueen, available at Net-a-Porter (online at www.net-a-porter.com); (2) Alexander McQueen, photograph thanks to This Is Not A Paradox (charleybee.wordpress.com). Background information on Alexander McQueen, thanks to New York Magazine (www.nymag.com).