Alexander McQueen; Guardian obit
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Alexander McQueen obituary
Accomplished rebel of the fashion world renowned for his
wildly imaginative designs
Imogen Fox
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/feb/11/alexander-mcqueen-obituary/print
No profile of Alexander McQueen could ever resist the phrase
"enfant terrible" and yet the hugely influential British
designer, who has been found dead aged 40, was honoured four
times by the British Fashion Council as designer of the
year, and was made a CBE in 2003. McQueen was the bad boy of
fashion who was beloved by the establishment.
McQueen, known to his friends as Lee, was renowned for the
theatricality of his fashion shows, but thanks to his
precision tailoring and attention to detail, the effect was
often more beautiful than shocking. His catwalk shows -
first in London and latterly in Paris - were never less than
10 minutes of pure theatrical energy. Featuring
spray-painted gowns, a pyramid containing a hologram of Kate
Moss, amputee models, or dresses made from fresh flowers,
McQueen catwalk shows were innovative, unexpected and always
much anticipated.
He was born Lee Alexander McQueen, the youngest of six
children and the son of a London East End cabby. He attended
Rokeby comprehensive school for boys in Stratford, and
remained proud of his working-class roots. At 16, he began
work as an apprentice cutter at Anderson & Sheppard on
Savile Row, where, as legend (and indeed the designer
himself) had it, he graffitied obscenities into the linings
of suits intended for the Prince of Wales. From there he
worked for Gieves & Hawkes on Savile Row, then moved on to
the theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans, followed by a
short stint with the Italian designer Romeo Gigli. In 1992
he enrolled for an MA at Central Saint Martins. There, he
learned the importance of hard work, deft cutting and the
art of self-promotion.
His big breakthrough came in 1994 when his graduate
collection caught the eye of the fashion stylist Isabella
Blow. She purchased the whole lot and became a much
photographed talisman for the McQueen brand. They remained
close until her death in May 2007. McQueen cemented his
rebel status the following year with a controversial show
entitled Highland Rape. The collection included ripped lace
dresses, tartan crinolines and models wearing antlers and
lace headdresses. It was raw, angry and technically
accomplished.
In 1996 he took up the role of chief designer at the
Parisian fashion house Givenchy, but his time there was not
happy. He said: "It's been difficult for me because I never
learned to arse-lick." His first couture collection for the
label was not well received, with the designer himself
playing up to his irreverent image by describing
the �collection to Vogue in October 1997 as
"crap". �However, the money his position brought him helped
him to build up his own label. He later expanded into
menswear and developed a lower priced commercial line, McQ.
McQueen stayed with Givenchy until March 2001, when the
contract that he said was "constraining his creativity" was
ended. Simultaneously, he was negotiating with the Gucci
group, which bought a 51% stake in McQueen's own label in
December 2000 for a rumoured $80m. The designer claimed to
have learned business acumen from the Gucci relationship. He
said: "I've realised that there has to be a balance between
your mental satisfaction and the financial needs of your
company. A collection is two-thirds artistic and one-third
business."
This creative, yet �pragmatic, approach was always seen in
his designs. For every wildly imaginative �catwalk show
featuring rigid moulded corsets, streamlined �bodysuits or
extravagant ostrich-feather �ballgowns, there were sharply
tailored jackets and impeccably cut dresses. His spring 2005
collection, entitled Picnic at Hanging Rock, was a classic
example. Set up as a giant chess game, it showcased a wide
range of ideas, from girlish Edwardian tailored sailor
jackets to 18th-century flower-embroidered jackets over
candy-striped puffball skirts.
McQueen was a pioneer in using �technology as part of his
fashion shows. This season, live-streamed fashion shows and
3D technology are part of the catwalk experience, but in
2006 for his Widows of Culloden collection, a holographic
Kate Moss appeared on the catwalk in a giant pyramid. In
September 2009 he attempted to live-stream his catwalk
show - a �re-creation of Atlantis including holograms, sea
aliens and robot cameras - but the site crashed due to
massive demand.
In his personal life, McQueen was shy. At the end of every
catwalk show, he would dash out to take his bow in his
trademark plaid shirt and baggy jeans. The socialite Daphne
Guinness, a longtime friend whom McQueen met after seeing
her across Leicester Square decked out in his
dragon-embroidered kimono, recently told W magazine that he
was "adorable and kind, and he's unbelievably good to his
friends - generous without noise". His loyalty was apparent
in October 2005 after the scandal in which Kate Moss was
pictured apparently using cocaine, when the designer took
his catwalk bow wearing a T-shirt which read: "We love you
Kate."
Openly gay, he once described �himself as "the pink sheep of
the family". In 2000, he married his lover, George Forsyth,
a documentary film-maker. The ceremony took place on a yacht
in Ibiza, with Moss reportedly a bridesmaid. The couple
later divorced.
His last collection, entitled Plato's Atlantis, is one of
his most memorable and became a must-have for celebrities
looking for paparazzi attention. Rihanna and Lady Gaga are
both fans. The latter was recently �pictured wearing his
10-inch Alien shoes, causing a flood of calls to the label
press office from fans looking to buy them as art pieces.
His death came as final preparations were being made for an
autumn collection to be unveiled in Paris. The designer was
said to be devastated by the death of his mother, Joyce, on
2 February. In April 2004, Joyce had interviewed her son for
the Guardian. She asked him what was his greatest fear.
"Dying before you," was his reply.
. Lee Alexander McQueen, fashion designer, born 17 March
1969; died 11 �February 2010
Mrs Irish Mike
> Alexander McQueen obituary
> Accomplished rebel of the fashion world renowned for his
> wildly imaginative designs
>
No wife?