Alexander McQueen’s position as an international designer gathers momentum with this fragile and feminine collection inspired by the journey of a woman, ship-wrecked on an island where she evolves from pirate to conquistador and finally Amazonian goddess. Micro-mini chestnut leather skirts and nipped-waist jackets are worn with torn and tattered organdy, delicate shredded chiffon and lace is transformed into everything from feather-light day dresses to bias-cut floor-sweeping gowns and exotic prints come in all the dazzling colours of the rainforest. The film that serves as a backdrop features watery depths inhabited by drowning damsels and woodland scenes peopled by black-eyed sprites courtesy of director John Maybury.