Alexander McQueen has always been my favourite fashion designer and I will always remember him fondly as someone who was incredibly creative and blew me away with his designs.
Born in Lewisham, London (which was named the 'least peaceful' place in the whole of the UK in 2013), he left school at the age of 16 with one O-Level in Art, before going on to complete an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard. During that time he had Prince Charles as a client!
Aged 20, he spent some time working for Koji Tatsuno before travelling to Milan, Italy to work with Romeo Gigli. Then after moving back to London, he applied to work at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London as a pattern cutter, but the Head of their Masters Course, Bobby Hillson, persuaded him to enrol as a student due to his strong portfolio. So in 1992, McQueen received his Masters in Fashion Design and his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by Magazine Editor (and Phillip Treacy's muse) Isabella Blow. > This only goes to show that it doesn't matter where you come from, you can do whatever you want to if you have the drive to follow your passions.
He later went on to design the wardrobe for David Bowie's tours in 1996-1997, and the incredible Union Jack coat used for his 'Earthling' Album Cover (which I love so much because David Bowie has been one of my idols since I was a child - I can't think of anything better than them working together!) I'm so fond of McQueen's designs because I really adore the artistry and fantasy behind the Avant-Garde designs he was famous for; so it came as no surprise to learn that he'd made pieces for Bowie as his own ideas were always very abstract and challenged the norms of society.
There's something magical about Avant-Garde fashion & photography that fascinates me and I think it's wonderful that a person can be turned into a walking piece of art. If I could, I'd love to wear out pieces by designers like McQueen and John Galliano on an everyday basis! That was what initially attracted me to Lady Gaga - I remember first hearing 'Just Dance' and enjoying the song, but her little quirks in the music video intrigued me (especially the nod to Bowie with her blue lightning bolt makeup), then as she progressed in her career, her creative side was really allowed to blossom and her love for fashion brought her even closer to my heart. Being a fan of Bowie for as long as I can remember, I always thought that if I became a famous star like him I'd follow his lead with really expressing my creative side through fashion, and as someone who is 5ft (similar to Gaga), when I kept seeing her in the media in these "crazy" outfits, I felt really connected to her as if she brought the vision I had of myself to life.
Then it happened; she worked with Alexander McQueen. I'll never forget watching the 'Bad Romance' video and seeing her sitting like a broken doll in an amazingly structured alien-like dress with McQueen's now infamous 'Armadillo Shoes' from his Plato's Atlantis Collection. I was totally blown away with the look (and astonished that she could walk in those shoes tbh!), and so jealous that she, just like Bowie, had got to work with such a talent! > She's worn Armadillo Shoes many times since then, and purchased even more in a tribute to McQueen after his untimely death.
McQueen's Plato's Atlantis Collection featured beautifully structured clothing with intricate patterns, inspired by nature and his love of scuba-diving, but with a futuristic overtone. The way he styled the models for the runway worked perfectly with their subtle makeup and pared back yet bold hairstyles that really complimented the post-human aesthetic he was aiming for. That was another thing that drew me to McQueen; everything was well-thought out and really brought the imagination behind the collection to life.
He really liked to put on a show; make something exciting; make a spectacle. Plato's Atlantis was his final appearance on a Fashion Show during Paris Fashion Week, October 6th 2009. The show opened with a video of a nude Raquel Zimmermann with snakes and a kaleidoscope of colours, alluding to the style of patterns displayed in the collection. He also had two giant cameras installed in the catwalk to move back and forth, documenting and broadcasting the show live.
Unfortunately, on the 11th February 2010, the world lost Alexander McQueen.
His housekeeper found him deceased in his home with a note saying "Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee". His death was officially recorded as suicide and he had reportedly taken an overdose before hanging himself. McQueen's mother had passed away from Cancer just over a week before his suicide and photographer friend David LaChapelle reported that he'd been "doing a lot of drugs and was very unhappy" at the time of his death.
At this point I really related to Alexander McQueen, who had been diagnosed 'mixed anxiety and depressive disorder'. As someone who has struggled with symptoms of anxiety and depression due to PTSD, it really pains me to think of how he must've felt after losing his mother. It's never easy to lose your mother (at any age) let alone when you're already personally struggling with your mental health. His suicide was the day before his mother's funeral, so I can only imagine that the cruel pain of the loss pushed him past the point of no return.
Often the most creative and imaginative minds are plagued by demons and it's devastating to think his creative genius has been taken from the world.
After his death, McQueen's long-term assistant Sarah Burton was named the new Creative Director of his brand and designed Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress for her marriage to Prince William in 2011, as well as her sister Pippa's bridesmaid Dress.
Then in 2015, the McQueen Collection 'Savage Beauty' was incredibly reminiscent for me to the Collection presented during Paris Fashion Week on March 8th 2010. That Autumn/Winter Collection was the last collection McQueen was working on before his death and it was 80% completed in a very Medieval and Religious aesthetic. It was a dark and foreboding aesthetic that used a lot of red, gold and silver, with lots of detailed embroidery. To me, 'Savage Beauty' really showed that Burton was so in-touch with McQueen and I believe he would've been incredibly proud of her for bringing to life a very Avant-Garde, dark and ethereal collection to life.
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I love Alexander McQueen because he showed me that where you come from doesn't make a difference to whether you can 'make it' or follow your dreams and be successful.
I love him because he was so creative and didn't hold back.
I love him because he was passionate about what he did, which showed in his collections and the theatrics of his catwalk shows.
And I love him because I feel a bit of him in my heart - I admire him and what he accomplished and I feel for him, knowing what it's like to feel like you have no desire to continue on living.
He's by far my favourite Fashion Designer and I will always love Alexander McQueen.
- - - - - - - - - -
Laura xo
P.S. Apparently there is a biopic of Alexander McQueen's life in the works, focusing on his creative process for his last Fashion Show in 2009. He is set to be portrayed by actor Jack O'Connell who starred in one of my favourite films 'This is England'.
There's something magical about Avant-Garde fashion & photography that fascinates me and I think it's wonderful that a person can be turned into a walking piece of art. If I could, I'd love to wear out pieces by designers like McQueen and John Galliano on an everyday basis! That was what initially attracted me to Lady Gaga - I remember first hearing 'Just Dance' and enjoying the song, but her little quirks in the music video intrigued me (especially the nod to Bowie with her blue lightning bolt makeup), then as she progressed in her career, her creative side was really allowed to blossom and her love for fashion brought her even closer to my heart. Being a fan of Bowie for as long as I can remember, I always thought that if I became a famous star like him I'd follow his lead with really expressing my creative side through fashion, and as someone who is 5ft (similar to Gaga), when I kept seeing her in the media in these "crazy" outfits, I felt really connected to her as if she brought the vision I had of myself to life.
Then it happened; she worked with Alexander McQueen. I'll never forget watching the 'Bad Romance' video and seeing her sitting like a broken doll in an amazingly structured alien-like dress with McQueen's now infamous 'Armadillo Shoes' from his Plato's Atlantis Collection. I was totally blown away with the look (and astonished that she could walk in those shoes tbh!), and so jealous that she, just like Bowie, had got to work with such a talent! > She's worn Armadillo Shoes many times since then, and purchased even more in a tribute to McQueen after his untimely death.
McQueen's Plato's Atlantis Collection featured beautifully structured clothing with intricate patterns, inspired by nature and his love of scuba-diving, but with a futuristic overtone. The way he styled the models for the runway worked perfectly with their subtle makeup and pared back yet bold hairstyles that really complimented the post-human aesthetic he was aiming for. That was another thing that drew me to McQueen; everything was well-thought out and really brought the imagination behind the collection to life.
He really liked to put on a show; make something exciting; make a spectacle. Plato's Atlantis was his final appearance on a Fashion Show during Paris Fashion Week, October 6th 2009. The show opened with a video of a nude Raquel Zimmermann with snakes and a kaleidoscope of colours, alluding to the style of patterns displayed in the collection. He also had two giant cameras installed in the catwalk to move back and forth, documenting and broadcasting the show live.
Unfortunately, on the 11th February 2010, the world lost Alexander McQueen.
His housekeeper found him deceased in his home with a note saying "Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee". His death was officially recorded as suicide and he had reportedly taken an overdose before hanging himself. McQueen's mother had passed away from Cancer just over a week before his suicide and photographer friend David LaChapelle reported that he'd been "doing a lot of drugs and was very unhappy" at the time of his death.
At this point I really related to Alexander McQueen, who had been diagnosed 'mixed anxiety and depressive disorder'. As someone who has struggled with symptoms of anxiety and depression due to PTSD, it really pains me to think of how he must've felt after losing his mother. It's never easy to lose your mother (at any age) let alone when you're already personally struggling with your mental health. His suicide was the day before his mother's funeral, so I can only imagine that the cruel pain of the loss pushed him past the point of no return.
Often the most creative and imaginative minds are plagued by demons and it's devastating to think his creative genius has been taken from the world.
After his death, McQueen's long-term assistant Sarah Burton was named the new Creative Director of his brand and designed Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress for her marriage to Prince William in 2011, as well as her sister Pippa's bridesmaid Dress.
Then in 2015, the McQueen Collection 'Savage Beauty' was incredibly reminiscent for me to the Collection presented during Paris Fashion Week on March 8th 2010. That Autumn/Winter Collection was the last collection McQueen was working on before his death and it was 80% completed in a very Medieval and Religious aesthetic. It was a dark and foreboding aesthetic that used a lot of red, gold and silver, with lots of detailed embroidery. To me, 'Savage Beauty' really showed that Burton was so in-touch with McQueen and I believe he would've been incredibly proud of her for bringing to life a very Avant-Garde, dark and ethereal collection to life.
- - - - - - - - - -
I love Alexander McQueen because he showed me that where you come from doesn't make a difference to whether you can 'make it' or follow your dreams and be successful.
I love him because he was so creative and didn't hold back.
I love him because he was passionate about what he did, which showed in his collections and the theatrics of his catwalk shows.
And I love him because I feel a bit of him in my heart - I admire him and what he accomplished and I feel for him, knowing what it's like to feel like you have no desire to continue on living.
He's by far my favourite Fashion Designer and I will always love Alexander McQueen.
- - - - - - - - - -
Laura xo
P.S. Apparently there is a biopic of Alexander McQueen's life in the works, focusing on his creative process for his last Fashion Show in 2009. He is set to be portrayed by actor Jack O'Connell who starred in one of my favourite films 'This is England'.
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