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.