Long Live McQueen

I am obsessed with Alexander McQueen. Tears sprung to my eyes when I drove by his store on Melrose just days after he passed. The storefront was haunting, grey, and empty as bunches of flowers withered away under the Los Angeles heat.

 A memorial was held yesterday to honor designer Alexander “Lee” McQueen, who committed suicide last February. While the label McQueen will not be showing during London’s fashion week, but rather Paris, the house’s Spring Summer 2011 collection is the current buzz. Sarah Burton, McQueen’s right hand, was appointed creative chief of the Alexander McQueen label four months ago. They are only weeks away from showing their first women’s collection since the designer’s death. Critics and fans alike are wondering if the label can really be Alexander McQueen without the creative genius of its namesake designer.

Hailing from London, Alexander McQueen was one of the most influential and experimental designers of the past decade. His work at Givenchy and Alexander McQueen can only be described as some of the most poignant work by a designer in such a short career.

McQueen's shows were filled with shock tactics that always garnered him attention as a young designer. His collections were met with critical acclaim earning him the British Designer of the Year award four times.

He began formal training at London's most prestigious fashion school Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design as a pattern cutter and a tutor. His strong portfolio led the head of the Master's course to convince him to enroll as a student where he received his Masters degree in fashion design. Influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow bought his entire graduation collection and helped jumpstart his wildly successful career.  It is rumored she is in fact the one who convinced him to go by his middle name Alexander rather than his first name Lee when he launched his fashion career. 

McQueen was appointed head designer at Givenchy in 1996 succeeding John Galliano. His most famous show with the house included car robots spray-painting white dresses on the runway. Givenchy is a classic label that didn’t always accept the outlandish ideas McQueen brought forth. He left the Givenchy label in 2001 when his contract ended.

To put his wildest ideas into fruition, McQueen started his own label. The Gucci group bought a 51% stake in the company and appointed him Creative Director. By the end of 2007, McQueen had boutiques in London, Milan, New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. 2007 also marked the first year his label made a profit.

It was no secret to the industry that McQueen had a dark side. His collections were saturated with sinister, twisted elements that were in turn hauntingly beautiful. One of his most popular pieces was a skull scarf that was worn by most of Hollywood's elite.

2007 also brought the designer attention with the suicide of close friend Isabella Blow. Rumors circulated that there was a rift between the two because of McQueen's supposed under-appreciation of Blow.

McQueen’s tragic death followed shortly behind Blow’s. He died days before the start of London Fashion week, though he was not scheduled to show there, and nine days after the death of his mother. On February 18, 2010 President of the Gucci Group announced the label would go on. His last collection was shown during Paris Fashion Week on March 9^th in a private showroom.
McQueen’s last full runway collection contained "some of the most chillingly misogynist footwear we have ever seen on the runway" according to fashion columnist Suzy Menkes. One of my life goals, and I'm really not kidding, is to wear a pair of the armadillos (as worn by Lady Gaga here at the VMAs).

The loss of this designer is still being felt throughout the industry today. As October 5^th draws closer, all eyes will be on the label to see if they will be able to recreate the outlandish genius of Alexander McQueen.