“Two men are travelling by train in England and one man says to the other, “What’s that package up there in the baggage rack?”, and the other answers, “Oh, that’s a McGuffin”. The first one asks, “What’s a McGuffin?” “Well,” the other one says, “It’s a device for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands.” The first man says, “But there are no lions in the Scottish Highlands”, and the other one answers, “Well, then that’s not a McGuffin!” (François Truffaut, “The Cinema According to Hitchcock.”)
Alfred Hitchcock coined the term “McGuffin” as a resource or excuse that serves as a means of beginning the plot of a story but which, at heart, is not really important to the story itself. That is to say, the “McGuffin” is only a device that introduces some kind of conflict in order to bring a story to life, and sometimes a series of characters that have little to do with the main idea.
Without “McGuffin” there are no stories, but “McGuffin” always constitute the aspect that is forgotten first. One of the most important aspects when creating a story is the relationship that is established with the onlooker. In my work I always establish references that involve the onlooker, which establish a link between what I want to say and what the onlooker internalises. Over time, the recurrent use of these references and stories within my work has come to form an indissoluble part of my brand and my own personality. However, on this occasion I have not sought to tell my own story, but to use “McGuffins” that enable each onlooker to develop and invent their own stories.
What really counts in the story of each collection is the way that each person identifies with it, and in this case it is no more than an excuse to express the great passion that I feel for my work, to portray my own visual world packed with small ironic references, with the sole aim of transcending the reality of those who observe and enjoy it.
Silhouettes
The day begins with a deliberate emphasis on jackets and coats, on structures and rigorous patterning, but without discarding the elegance of a ready-to-wear appeal in other street clothing items featuring rigid and voluminous fabrics in which the curves are enhanced through the natural structure of neoprene and flocked knits. These are constructed through precise cuts and a specific way of assembling the seams, evolving towards the evening with a pencil silhouette that evokes a glamorous serenity with long and sober dresses characterised by a special attention to detail and an agreeable sensation of calm and security.
Colours
An extensive range of warm colours that range from Portland orange to Persian red, without forgetting Ribera del Duero red, bright ultramarine and Cordovan black.
Fabrics
Jacquard smudges, double face satin Duchesse cut on the cross and sewn in zigzags, woollen serge with a crackled finish, two-layered transparent gummed finishes, cotton jersey knits for sweaters featuring a waffled finish, printed neoprene, flocked wool featuring geometric motifs, plain and printed woollen crêpe fil de fer, crêpe de chine with a starry-sky effect featuring interwoven lurex. A still-life of Baroque flowers in red, vanilla and ultramarine. Jacquards in Portland orange, Navajo white and Cordovan black. Crêpe fil de fer in black, vanilla and Persian red. Woollen cloth in Portland orange and ultramarine blue. A double gummed finish in smoky black and grape green. Crêpe de chine in Prussian blue. Duchesse satin in sequoia brown and coal black.
Photos & text Copyright Ana Locking.
Ana Locking Autumn/Winter 2016 Collection "McGuffin"