Deliverance (collection)

Deliverance is the twenty-third collection by British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, released for the Spring/Summer 2004 season of his eponymous fashion house. The collection was inspired by the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, which portrays desperate participants in a dance marathon during the Great Depression. The collection and accompanying show use the dance marathon concept to express McQueen's exhaustion with fame and the fashion industry.

The collection comprised three distinct phases inspired by the film and the clothing of the Depression: eveningwear recalled the glamour of Old Hollywood before the crash, colourful sportswear, and faded daywear in utilitarian fabrics evoking exhaustion and hopelessness. McQueen's signature tailoring featured throughout, and he returned to several concepts from previous collections; he also presented new developments such as bias-cut dresses. Menswear drew from 1930s American workwear.

The runway show was staged on 10 October 2003 at the Salle Wagram auditorium in Paris, with production by McQueen's usual creative team. Unlike a traditional fashion show, Deliverance was presented as a faux dance marathon in three phases, with professional dancers accompanying the models and choreography by ballet dancer Michael Clark. Over eighty looks were presented. The show ended with a model feigning collapse in the centre of the stage before being carried offstage.

Critical reception was positive, especially to the runway show, although there was some backlash to the idea of using the Great Depression as inspiration for high-end fashion. Academic analysis has considered the dance marathon theme as a symbol of death and decay, and items from Deliverance have appeared in exhibitions.