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ALEXANDER MCQUEEN 1969-2010
written and composed by JUSTIN TYLER CAREY
Copyright Š Alexander McQueen Photo by Craig McDean
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN LIFE & LEGACY
Lee Alexander McQueen was born on March 17, 1969
man and leaving him with more independence as a designer.
into a working-class family in London’s Lewisham district.
He saw the label flourish throughout the 2000s, releasing
His father, Ronald, was a cab driver, and his mother, Joyce,
women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections that stunned
taught social science. McQueen, who was often teased as a
the fashion world. Alexander McQueen shows are widely
child, recognized his homosexuality at the age of eight. He
known for their raw power and emotive energy, but there was
developed a deep passion for fashion and at the age of sixteen
a certain dark streak in his work that often carried over into
he left school for an apprenticeship on Savile Row. At age
his personal life. After his friend’s death in 2007, McQueen
twenty-one he furthered his career by moving on to work
became depressed, but managed to create several acclaimed
with theatrical costume designers Angels and Bermans. The
collections, such as the wildly popular “Plato’s Atlantis.”
dramatic style of his designs later became a common theme
After his mother’s death in 2010, McQueen succumbed to
in his independent work. In 1992, McQueen received his
a deep depression. Just nine days after her death, on the eve
M.A. in fashion design from Central Saint Martin’s College
of her funeral, McQueen hanged himself. The fashion world
of Art and Design. Only four years out of design school,
was deeply torn. Upon his death in 2010, Sarah Burton,
McQueen was named Chief Designer of Louis Vuitton-
McQueen’s colleague, was announced as Creative Director
owned Givenchy, a French haute couture fashion house.
of the Alexander McQueen brand. Since her appointment,
However, in 2001 McQueen left Givenchy, reportedly
Burton has produced acclaimed collections with a focus on
claiming that the contract was “constraining his creativity.”
handcraft, establishing herself as an accomplished designer
After a considerable amount of achievements, he moved on
with artisan and technical excellence. She continues to
to develop his own label. The Gucci Group acquired 51%
maintain and transform the McQueen brand in a manner
of the Alexander McQueen label, making him a wealthy
akin to the master himself.
“I WANT PEOPLE TO BE AFRAID OF THE WOMEN I DRESS.” McQueen always started each collection with a concept for the runway presentation before designing the actual garments. He was a sponge – drawing inspiration from art, film, and music. He saw life cinematically, as a sort of a dramatic performance. McQueen was well known for upending conventional, normative standards of beauty. The garments that he made are often interpreted as misogynistic, but he felt as if the clothes he was designing for women represented armor and were empowering. Fashion, for McQueen, wasn’t just about pragmatics or wearability. To him, fashion was a vehicle to convey or express complex ideas and concepts. He used fashion as a way to challenge our boundaries and perception of clothing.
VOSS, spring/summer 2001
Q U I N T E S S E N T I A L LY
1985
TRAINS AT SAVILE ROW At 16, McQueen leaves school and finds an apprenticeship on Savile Row working for the tailors Anderson & Sheppard and then Gieves & Hawkes. At 21, he moves forward to work for Angels & Bermans, the theatrical costume company.
1994
EARNS M.A. / ISABELLA BLOW McQueen graduates from Central St. Martin’s in London, where his graduate collection caught the attention of Ms. Blow, a British fashion editor with a gift for identifying new talent. She acquired his entire collection and took him under her wing.
1996
“HIGHLAND RAPE” COLLECTION One of McQueen’s first successful fashion shows. Bodices were torn to reveal models’ breasts. There was an outcry in the press. McQueen later barks back, “People were so unintelligent they thought it was about women being raped – yet ‘Highland Rape’ was about England’s rape of Scotland.”
1996
BRITISH DESIGNER OF THE YEAR McQueen’s stardom jumped along with his notoriety. He became known for producing wild, game-changing shows with bold and stunning designs.
2000
GUCCI PURCHASES LABEL The Gucci Group, a huge rival of Givenchy, purchases 51% of McQueen’s company. This allows McQueen to expand his personal visions beyond the agency of Givenchy.
2007
THE BEGINNING OF THE END McQueen suffered a devastating loss when his longtime friend and mentor Isabella Blow died in an apparent suicide. Many speculate that he never fully recovered.
2010
THE LAST COLLECTION McQueen spearheaded fashion’s Internet revolution with a runway show that streamed live on the popular fashion website ShowStudio. Viewership records were broken when it was announced that Lady Gaga’s single “Bad Romance” would be debuted. The collection was equally monumental for otherworldly, futuristic dresses and the iconic armadillo heels.
1
“Jellyfish” Ensemble Plato’s Atlantis, spring/summer 2010 Dress, leggings, and “Armadillo” boots embroidered with iridescent enamel paillettes.
2
Dress Plato’s Atlantis, spring/summer 2010 Silk jacquard in a snake pattern embroidered with yellow enamel paillettes in a honeycomb pattern.
Plato’s Atlantis is an exquisite amalgamation of biology,
This was McQueen’s last show and finished collection.
symmetry, and evolution. Personally, this is one of my
After his death, Sarah Burton continued working on
favorite collections. The level of detail and theatricality
unfinished garments McQueen had left behind, which lead
involved in an Alexander McQueen show is absolutely
to an untitled autumn/winter collection following Plato’s
incredible. McQueen transformed the runway into a
Atlantis. The collection was inspired by Byzantine art, the
performative spectacle, unleashing incredible designs paired
carvings of Grinling Gibbons, and Old Master paintings.
with innovative technology and a magnificent multi-media
All of McQueen’s collections are available for viewing in full
experience. That’s it. Experience. His shows were much more
on his website, alexandermcqueen.com and can be found
than tall, uniquely built models strutting down a walkway
on YouTube, as well as VOGUE.
surrounded by socialites and fashion editors – a McQueen show was about complementing concept with skill. Every aspect of his show could be observed and experienced as a performance, and Plato’s Atlantis transcended the pragmatics of fashion, allowing art and entertainment to flow evenly together.
PLATO’S
ATLANTIS “[This collection predicted a future in which] the ice cap would melt . . . the waters would rise and . . . life on earth would have to evolve in order to live beneath the sea once more or perish. Humanity [would] go back to the place from whence it came.”
Eshu, autumn/winter 2000-2001 Yellow glass beads and brown horse hair
END NOTE This book is intended to detail, in short, Lee Alexander McQueen’s life and legacy. All images of his garments are copyright © Sølve Sundsbø. Sources of information include alexandermcqueen.com, VOGUE online, biography.com, and nytimes.com. This book was designed and worded by Justin Tyler Carey as an exercise in Graphic Design. April, 2014. Maine College of Art.