McQueen pulled off a bravura, Latin-themed romp. One particularly theatrical dress came equipped with banderillas—the long spears with which bullfighters pique bulls—that seemed to impale the wearer in order to support a long ruffled train in the back. Another, a severely deconstructed blood-red seņorita dress, had part of a jacket attached at the waist, while a matador-inspired strapless gown featured a built-in sword. An assortment of polka-dotted frocks were layered over matching stockings, and cinched with corset-like straps and holster-inspired tops.

Alongside these dramatic statements came plenty of carefully tailored, eminently wearable clothes, deftly proving McQueen's ability to mix iconoclastic statements with commercially viable product. Razored jackets were softened via seashell-like pleated skirts with gently upturned fronts; flared-sleeve eyelet shirts, layered skirts, and embroidered white jeans all looked confident, as did the cut-out dresses and sharp-as-a-tack toreador suits.

– By Armand Limnander