After her initial words upon accepting the head designer role at Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton has kept fairly quiet—until now. Burton, who was hired at McQueen before she was even a graduate at Central Saint Martin’s, talks about her mentor and boss, as well as what her plans are going forward with the label.

One thing she is not continuing are the extravagant, grandiose shows McQueen was known for: “That was very much Lee’s territory—the spectacular show… In that way, I can’t try and pretend to be Lee.”

She is, however, staying true to the designer’s affinity for the macabre and sex.

“There will always be this McQueen spirit and essence. But, of course, I’m a woman so maybe more from a woman’s point of view. There’s always got to be some darkness, because otherwise you don’t appreciate what’s light… I’ve had a training in darkness, but I don’t feel that it’s necessarily a personal thing to me. I’m a bit lighter… A lot of designers are afraid of sex. Lee was not. It’s about a piece of clothing you put on and you know you’re wearing McQueen.”

The Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2011 line is due to be unveiled at the upcoming Paris Fashion Week.