Understanding Alexander McQueen Date Codes, Authenticity & Serial Numbers

Decoding the Date Code

• Men’s Mainline: Codes begin with UP54, followed by the four-digit year (e.g., UP54 2009).
• Women’s Mainline: Codes begin with UP55, followed by the four-digit year (e.g., UP55 2003).
• McQ (Diffusion Line): These items may use UP59 for women and UP60 for men.

Manufacturing vs. Collection Year

• Autumn/Winter (AW) Collections: The manufacturing year matches the release year. For example, a tag marked UP54 2009 identifies a piece from the AW09 collection.
• Spring/Summer (SS) Collections: Items are manufactured in the year prior to release. A tag marked UP55 2003 identifies a piece from the SS04 collection.

Serial Number Structure and Authenticity

• Style and Tracking: The top of the tag often includes UPC codes and internal tracking numbers, followed by the specific style number or garment name.
• Consistency: Authenticators check that the style information is consistent across all tags, including both sewn-in and hang tags.
• Label Evolution:
  • 2004–2015: A specific style of label was used during this window.
  • Post-2015: Labels transitioned to a black label with white writing or a white label with black writing.
  • 2018 Transition: The brand logo changed in 2018 from a bold serif font with "gothic flair" (elongated tails on the Q and N) to a sleeker, more minimalist serif font.

Modern Technological Indicators

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