ALEXANDER McQUEEN, FASHION’S INFAMOUS BAD BOY, BLAZED A TRAIL THROUGH THE INDUSTRY ONE INSPIRED MINDS ARE STILL FOLLOWING ALMOST A DECADE AFTER HIS UNTIMELY DEATH

BY KARDIA YAZMYNE WILLIAMS

For such an extraordinary figure, Lee Alexander McQueen came from rather ordinary beginnings. He was born in 1969 in Lewisham, London to a middleclass family, the youngest of six children. He took a tailoring course at Newman College and went on to apprentice at what could be considered the Harvard University of style the Savile Row district, held in still-high regard for its tradition of expert bespoke tailoring and craftsmanship. There, at the company Anderson and Sheppard, McQueen would hone skills that would become the bedrock of his brand’s ultimate reputation for impeccable structure. He later attended the Rosetta Art Centre, and went on to receive a master’s in Fashion Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. His graduate collection caught the eye of Isabella Blow, a prominent English fashion stylist and editor, who later became a mentor, helping him during the early stages of his career.

McQueen founded his eponymous fashion house in 1992, one that quickly drew eyes and editorials for its rebellious spirit, flair for the dramatic, and penchant for dark themes and shock value in runway shows. His Fall/Winter 1995 collection, titled “Highland Rape,” earned him the sobriquets “L’Enfant terrible” and “hooligan of English fashion.” In 1997, he became chief designer at Givenchy, displaying there a similar appetite for controversy. At its fall 1998 runway show, he featured a doubleamputee model strutting the runway on carved wooden legs.

He also, not surprisingly, caught the attention of rock and roll royalty, particularly those whose aesthetics veered towards the eclectic and flamboyant. Björk was such an admirer that McQueen directed the music video for her song “Alarm Call,” a dreamy piece of psychedelia in which the Icelandic music artist writhed in ecstasy on a raft with alligators and snakes. David Bowie selected McQueen as wardrobe designer for his tours, and he penned the iconic Union Jack coat for the cover of Bowie’s album, Earthling. Over time, the brand has been embraced by other A-listers like Nicole Kidman, Rihanna, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Actress Camille Belle wore a Rorschach pattern-esque and wildly colorful Alexander McQueen dress on the red carpet that InStyle magazine listed as one of the “100 best dresses of the decade.” (The house actually now claims three places in that coveted list.) He was named British Designer of e Year four times between 1996 and 2003 by the Lycra British Style Awards, International Designer of the Year by e Council of Fashion Designers, and was also awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Such accolades were not capable of extinguishing McQueen’s inner turmoil. In 2010, he committed suicide, and tributes began immediately, culminating in musician and friend Lady Gaga dedicating the song “Fashion of His Love” to him.

But his legacy lives on. The brand’s current creative director, Sarah Burton, who had worked alongside McQueen since 1996, has been credited with giving the house a lighter, more optimistic appeal and certainly a more feminine touch, but the edgy aesthetic is still present. The Resort 2019 collection features daringly structured tops and jackets in remarkable juxtaposition to soft and airy sheer dresses and skirts. And the hits don’t end there: Accessories include this black embossed croc calf leather Jewelled Satchel ($2,190 wear it over the shoulder or cross body using the leather and chain straps) and for the guys (all of us, actually) the Hammered Studs Double wrap Bracelet ($275) a black calf leather double-wrap with antique gold finished hammered studs, finished with an engraved coin and house-iconic metal skull charm.

Alexander McQueen
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