One Great Look: Caroline Polachek In McQueen

I look at a lot of fashion and red-carpet looks every week, and this week was exceptionally rife with delectable, fresh-off-the-runway goodness from people like Saiorse Ronan, Nicole Kidman, and yes, the wailing chanteuse herself, Caroline Polachek. She turned up to GQ’s British edition of their Men of the Year party wearing brand-new McQueen by Seán McGirr, silencing the Internet trolls who have been harsh on McGirr’s vision for the storied brand.

We’ve come to expect this Victorian-era style from Polachek, who is a fan of all things old, both sonically and sartorially. This look leans more directly into a villainous persona for her, not unlike a feminine, yass-ified Mr. Penguin, or an extra from The Matrix who happens to have a Bergdorf’s account. The platforms, with their touch of white nylon, give off the energy of a banker who secretly watched Anora and is now considering a career in adult entertainment.

The reason this look works so well, and indeed is the best look of the week, is the geometry of the suit’s cut-out pairing with her cheek-hugging fringe. The vision-blocking bang is essential to the intrigue and drama, something that even the iciest fashion critic can appreciate. Sliced-open tailoring is a McQueen signature, all the way back to Lee’s first collections, and seeing it reinterpreted here on this cinched navy blazer with an asymmetric skirt-pant feels rooted in house codes yet updated for 2024. It’s cinematic, gothic, and romantic all at once… and everything is romantic, right?