The Overlook (Alexander McQueen collection)

A woman wearing a form-fitting corset made of coiled metal, which covers her from the neck to the hips, and from the shoulder to the upper arm. She wears a black skirt and heavy black eye makeup.
The coiled corset from Look 47 of The Overlook, pictured backstage at the 2004 McQueen retrospective show Black

The Overlook (Autumn/Winter 1999) was the fourteenth collection by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen for his eponymous fashion house. It was inspired by the Stanley Kubrick horror film The Shining (1980) and named for the fictional Overlook Hotel where much of the film takes place. The collection focused on winter clothing in light and neutral colours, including chunky knitwear, fur and shearling coats, and parkas inspired by Inuit clothing. Showpiece items included a bustier made from rock crystal and a corset made from coils of aluminium, the latter provided by jeweller and frequent McQueen collaborator Shaun Leane.

The runway show was staged on 23 February 1999 at Gatliff Road Warehouse in London. Several celebrities attended, including Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who was making her first appearance at a McQueen show. The square stage was enclosed by a large Lucite box. The inside, lit by thousands of candles, was dressed to look like a birch forest in winter, complete with artificial snow and an icy floor. Production was handled by McQueen's usual creative team. Sixty-six looks were presented, interrupted by a brief entr'acte during which several models skated around the enclosure. The show earned a standing ovation, regarded as a rare achievement in the fashion world.

Critical response to the clothing and the runway show for The Overlook was mostly positive, and it is regarded as one of McQueen's most memorable shows. Some observers criticised the collection for being unrealistic, and others objected to the use of real fur. Academic analysis has focused on the show's interpretation of The Shining and themes of isolation through the medium of clothing. The coiled corset was the sole item from The Overlook to appear in the original 2011 staging of the retrospective exhibit Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.