Seán McGirr is no stranger to Asia — the creative director of McQueen launched his fashion career in Japan, where he first interned at Vogue Homme, then at Uniqlo, where he worked as a designer a little over 10 years ago.

It was also during his time in Japan that McGirr visited China for the first time.

McGirr remembered fondly the bustling energy of the city, as well as the Shanghai hip-hop scene.

 

Fast-forward 10 years or so later, a more subdued energy exemplifies Shanghai city life — “probably because of electronic vehicles,” observed McGirr, whose whirlwind China trip took him to different pockets of the Shanghainese downtown neighborhood, including the century-old Jinjiang Hotel and the tranquil waterfront by Suzhou Creek, and to observe local nightlife — such as the newly erected club hub C Park.

 

McGirr was in town for McQueen’s “Beneath the Surface” event in the city, which celebrated the brand’s fall 2026 collection with an exhibition-style weekend showcase at Fotografiska Shanghai.

“It’s really exciting to be here and be able to reflect on what’s happening in this specific culture at the time,” said McGirr.

“McQueen makes sense for me in London, in Paris, yet I’m always asking myself, how does it make sense to someone in China, South Korea, Mexico, how do they feel about McQueen, and that always brings me back to this idea of a strong attitude, of unconventional beauty, which sets it apart, and which was what I really loved about the brand since I was about 13 years old,” he added, noting that the McQueen skull scarf was “a vibe” he grew up with and the first item he bought as a teenager — under the influence of indie sleaze and band culture.

 

Speaking about the Labubu frenzy, McGirr was quick to point out the affinity of Labubu creator Kasing Lung‘s skull character Tycoco’s uncanny resemblance to Tim Burton’s cartoon work.

“Tim Burton collaborated with Alexander McQueen on a collection in 2002, for which he designed the show invite,” McGirr said, rattling off the details on the brand’s late founder’s and the American auteur’s mutual love of dark romance.

“I love twisted horrors, but I also like things that are a bit silly or funny — that’s what I liked about the [McQueen skull] scarves, the skulls look like they are smiling,” said McGirr of the house’s iconic design.

World-building at McQueen aside, an obsession with product development, a creative muscle he exercised during his time at Uniqlo, fuels his design process at the brand.

Recalling his time working in Japan, McGirr said it taught him how to design a modern wardrobe.

“I like humble things, but I also love extremely extravagant things, and when I moved to Japan two weeks after graduating from Central Saint Martin’s, I was very excited about learning the fundamentals of designing clothes, I was more interested in finding ways to design the perfect shirt — to be honest, a lot of work I did there [at Uniqlo] came from historical uniforms, maybe a dress was based on a nurse’s from the 1920s, it was all about function — such an amazing modern philosophy when it came to clothes,” said McGirr.

At McQueen, that design mindset evolved into one that relied on constant “sense checking,” according to McGirr.

 

“There’s less of a formula that I subscribe to when I design; it’s more like how you feel in that moment,” McGirr explained. “It’s very important to look inside,” he said, adding that weekly psychoanalysis helps him find methods to become his biggest critic and engage in deep thinking.

McGirr’s first stop in Shanghai was Donghua University, where he attended a talk addressing graduating fashion students.

Apart from reflecting on his intuitive approach to design, McGirr emphasized the importance of primary research — “stop scrolling,” he advised students — in order to find one’s voice and nurture a unique voice in fashion.

During Saturday’s press tour, McGirr also elaborated on his world-building tactics at McQueen and cinema’s influence on his work — for the latest collection, it was Todd Haynes’ film “Safe,” starring Julianne Moore. “It feels like there’s something in the air about the idea of safety, and this idea of claustrophobia, of being trapped, but then actually in the end, she’s sort of free,” said McGirr of the film.

As for the design, he continues to aim to discover silhouettes that envelop the body. “It’s very important for me to repeat a silhouette, and for me, it’s usually around the body, but in terms of the concept and the story and the narrative, I do like to change it, because it’s just exciting for me and my team to dive into new stories and new concepts,” said McGirr, who plans on building the brand “naturally and holistically.”

 

“McQueen is such a special brand, it’s not exactly a brand for the masses, and that gives it a unique force,” said McGirr.

On Saturday night, the brand feted the event launch in the presence of McGirr; Gianfilippo Testa, chief executive officer of McQueen; Cai Jinqing, president of Kering Greater China, and local celebrities, including actors Qu Chuxiao, Xiang Hanzhi and Zhou Yutong. Amber Kuo and her alternative rock band Mola Oddity staged a high-energy performance.

To end his trip on an intimate note, McGirr met more VIP clients during a private viewing of the collection throughout Sunday, and on Monday, he met designers from Kering’s new initiative in China dubbed CRAFT, which stands for Creative Residency for Artisanship, Fashion and Technology.