Lee Alexander McQueen
Noah Christopherson
History Lee Alexander McQueen was born in London on the 17th of March, 1969. He is an English fashion designer who dubbed himself electric and eccentric. His father was a cab driver and his mother taught social history where he grew up in London’s East End. McQueen dropped out of school when he was 16 years old and instead began an apprenticeship with Anderson & Sheppard, a tailor on Savile Row. McQueen spent two years at Anderson & Sheppard before moving to Gieves & Hawkes. Upon leaving Savile Row, he worked with theatrical costumers Bermans & Nathans. In the time he spent in apprenticeships McQueen had gained a great deal of knowledge in the art of tailoring, the element of design he is most known for. McQueen worked for designer Romeo Gigli in Milan at the age of 20. After a year with Gigli, Lee returned to London and applied for a teaching position at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. The school thought he was so talented that they offered him a place in their graduate design program. When he graduated in 1992, the fashion editor of Vogue, the late Isabella Blow, bought his entire graduating collection. The two would form a friendship that would pave the way for McQueen’s entire career.
Lee dropped his first name in 1993, becoming known as only, Alexander McQueen, which would become the name of his label. He started his label with an Autumn/Winter collection that featured the controversial “bumster” jeans; low cut and baring “butt cleavage”. The jeans became somewhat of a sensation. In 1995, McQueen’s Autumn/Winter show was entitled, “Highland Rape,” and was a political commentary on England’s history of abusing power. McQueen almost always explored the theme of abuse and victimization after that 1995 collection (4). McQueen received the esteemed award of British Designer of the Year three times, in 1996, 1997, and 2001. In 1997, he was also named creative director at Givenchy following John Galliano, who had been hired at Dior. After his appointment as creative director, McQueen was allowed to continue his own collection without any reservations because Givenchy was owned by LVMH, which gave substantial financial support (1).
McQueen sold nearly 51% of his businesss to Gucci in 2001 and a year later, decided it was time to part with Givenchy. Even though he was a London based designer, he continued to show his own line at Paris Fashion Week, instead of returning to London Fashion Week. McQueen always hated the commercialist aspect of the fashion world and wanted to break it from its old traditional ways. His highly unorthodox fashion shows had become a spectacle every season and people had even accused him of being a misogynist, as he never seemed to take into account the wellbeing of the models. Mile high heels lead some models to walk out of shows for fears of ruining their careers and tiny corsetry caused one model to faint while being dressed. Though every season, the who’s who of fashion continued to show up to his shows wondering what he would do next. People have described his shows as less runway more installation art.
One of McQueen’s most recognizable show is his Spring/Summer 2010 runway spectacular, “Plato’s Atlantis”. The collection was based on a post apocalyptic world with creatures evolving from land habitants to sea creatures in the course of a 45-look collection. The models had prosthetic cheek and brow bones, and braids that looked like they changed from horns to fins with each changing look. Expert tailoring and digitally printed fabrics provided unique shapes and vibrant colors. The shoes in the collection rocked the fashion world, the most memorable being the “armadillo heel” featuring a six in platform with a six inch heel on top of that, making the entire height of the shoe about 12”. Lady Gaga and Daphne Guinness have both been seen wearing the “armadillo heels” as well as the “monster heel” formed out of molded plastic. Not long after this show, McQueen was found hung in his apartment. Rumors are that the company was in financial trouble, but those rumors proved to be false. Many think the reason McQueen took his own life was the unbearable grief he felt after the death of his mother. People had noticed a difference in McQueen’s demeanor after the suicide of his friend and mentor Isabella Blow, and it is assumed that the death of his mother had been the last straw for his emotional stability.
McQueen was friends with the heavy hitters of the fashion world, Naomi Campbell, Daphne Guinness, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Moss, and many more. All attended his funeral. Naomi Campbell organized a Haiti relief runway show, and upon hearing of the death of her friend, decided to make the finale of the show a huge retrospective tribute.
McQueen’s designs were the epitome of theatricality. He made things ranging from alien-esque futuristic creatures to corseted romantic gowns accented with real flowers. He was the reason I wanted to go into fashion. His influence was expansive and paved the way for many avant-garde designers and artists alike. McQueen’s reign as the leader of the fashion world was cut short, but his legacy lives on in his right hand woman, Sarah Burton.
Current Relevance After Lee Alexander McQueen’s death in February of 2010, there were countless articles written about him and his life’s work. An article Women’s Wear Daily from December of 2010, Samantha Conti wrote a poignant memoir of the great designer. She spoke to many people who had personal experiences with McQueen. Suzky Menkes, fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune spoke on the theatricality in his shows, “His imagination and showmanship never drowned out his fabulous tailoring. He was an artist who just happened to work with clothing” (3). Camilla Nickerson, a stylist, worked closely with McQueen during his creative process, “The staggering thing about him was that he literally cut fabric off the bolt, folded it very perfectly on the floor and asked for the scissors from his very attentive assistant. He would then think about it and attack the piece of fabric and hold it to the girl, and there was the dress or the jacket in place. I hadn’t ever watched anyone work so fluently and so directly (3).” The article sites McQueen’s lust for escape from reality and how fashion was his medium to achieve that. He was quoted previously in WWD stating, “I wasn’t born to give you a twin set and pearls (3).” The idea that fashion is escape is still relevant today, with the tough economic times, designers had to step back from the fantasy and become
more frugal and functional. Yet there were a few designers that yearned for the fantasy of fashion. Fashion was a way for people to forget about the financial struggles and to delve into a world where everyone was free to rid themselves of the worries of the real world. I truly believe this is the world that McQueen yearned for. He knew what he was working towards, but unfortunately he wasn’t here to see things start turning around. “This is the birth of a new dawn in fashion. There is no way back for me now. I am going to take you on journeys you’ve never dreamed were possible (3).”
Signature Design Elements Tailoring was McQueen’s forte in design. His tactful use of tailoring and imagination put him ahead of his contemporaries. He was trained on Savile Row and has been heralded as the tailor of our times. Though people forget that he was such a tailor due to his shock tactics used in design and presentation. The shocking way he presented his creations never overshadowed his impeccable work, yet it distracted people enough to the point where they could just write him off as crazy. The tailoring of his suits is flattering to the wearer,
concealing curves for those who need it and creating curves for those who lack them. The accentuation of the hip with the nipped in waist, something that Dior introduced with his “New Look” in the 1940s, is clearly an influence in McQueen’s work. McQueen’s clear love of art and history is another element he employed in his designs, from the collection inspired by the British royalty to another inspired by the Victorian era of fashion. McQueen had a love affair with history and knew that fashion was his one way to express it.
McQueen’s Woman The McQueen woman is strong, independent, artistic, and brave. She is wealthy and adventurous. Between the ages of 25-40, she is an established fashion-forward woman who takes risks in the way she dresses and isn’t worried about others’ perception of her.
Product Price Range, Sizing, & Fabrication The price range of McQueen’s products can range from $295 for a silk skull scarf, one of McQueen’s most recognizable pieces, to several thousand dollars for a dress. A custom McQueen design could have set you back over $10,000. The sizing of McQueen’s garments range from a US sizing guide of size 2 to 14. It is unusual for a designer to produce sizes in such a wide range, but McQueen has always been anything but usual. McQueen used silk in all of the scarves he designed as well as using silks in his designs. For more of his ready-to-wear dresses they utilized viscose and polyester, which may be surprising, but due to the highly structured nature of his garments, the fabric holds shape easily.
Where to purchase McQueen McQueen’s products are sold in Alexander McQueen stores around the world, these locations would be the place to go to purchase garments seen on runways, though many of them are not chosen to be sold in mass quantities. McQueen accessories, such as shoes, scarves, and bags can be found in stores like Barneys New York and Saks Fifth Avenue. Department stores like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom carry McQueen’s diffusion line, McQ, which allows a wider audience to purchase similar items from the full priced McQueen line at a lesser price point.
My Point of View Alexander McQueen was and still is one of the most influential designers in my life. His tailoring work and artistic presentation showed his dedication to his craft and the thought put into every aspect of a collection. I admire the way he presented his work, because it showed that he wasn’t afraid to let people have a glimpse into his mind, without revealing too much. The way he created other worlds in his shows that takes his audience into the free world of creation that he so longed for is inspiring. Creating the otherworldly set for the
“Plato’s Atlantis” showed McQueen’s idea of what the future holds for the world if people keep being wasteful and harming the planet. The planet retaliated and slowly forced land dwelling humanoid creatures to evolve and turn into ocean dwellers. The way he created the entire image of that show has led me to want to be in runway production and to help designers plan shows and make their visions come to life. I also love the silk scarves. The skull scarves are still produced today and are a great way for the company to reach out to a wider demographic who may not be able to afford a $2,000 dress but still want a piece of the McQueen world.
McQueen’s Influence McQueen’s influence was vast throughout his entire career, from the incredibly low-slung “bumster” pants to his skull scarves which are some of the most recognizable designer pieces next to a Louis Vuitton bag or a Chanel suit. His theatrical catwalk shows have changed how designers present their collections. It would be ridiculous to say otherwise. The influence
can be seen in the runway shows like Viktor & Rolf’s show debuting their fragrance “Flowerbomb”. The show was over the top, theatrical, and magical; three things that can easily describe an Alexander McQueen production. McQueen’s tailoring has led to an influx of exaggerated shapes and strong silhouettes by other designers. Seeing the expert way he tailored heralded back to the likes of Christian Dior and Cristobal Balenciaga, the beauty of tailoring expertly had not been seen in a long time.
Historical Significance McQueen was not a designer before his time, nor was he behind on the times; I believe he was the designer who was perfect for his times. He had awoken the hidden artist in many fashion leaders and followers. He pushed limits and made people uncomfortable in order to make them think; consider the time he used a Paralympics runner as a model in his catwalk show. With his final collection, Alexander McQueen made a troubling commentary on the future of the world if we continue to treat it with the disrespect that we have shown it for decades now. He raised awareness of the damage that we are causing and showed people, in his way, the path that we are headed down.
Works Cited Knox, Kristin. Alexander McQueen: Genius of a Generation. London: A&C Black, 2010. Print. Bolton, Andrew, Alexander McQueen, Susannah Frankel, Tim Blanks, and Sølve Sundsbø. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011. Print. Conti, Samantha. "Newsmakers: Alexander McQueen." www.wwd.com. Women's Wear Daily, 13 Dec. 2010. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. Grimaud, Pamela E. "McQueen, (Lee) Alexander." www.oxfordartonline.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.