If we were to define Alexander McQueen’s work with one single word, that would be “theatrical”. Unconventional and shocking, his art attracted a lot of controversy. Shocking or not, his ideas managed to ignite the imagination of enough fashion experts, as to be the youngest fashion designer ever who was awarded the British Fashion Designer of the Year. Actually he won this award four times, the first time being in 1996, when he was only 27 years old.
The Dazed & Confused Episode
Dazed & Confused is a fashion magazine about models with physical disabilities. Alexander McQueen accepted to work as an art director for one of the issues of this magazine. The show that was inspired by his cooperation with Dazed & Confused featured Aimee Mullins, an athlete who had suffered an amputation of both her legs from the knees down at the young age of only one. For this show, Aimee wore a pair of hand-carved wooden legs, which everybody in the audience mistook as wooden boots. Aimee Mullins herself was impressed by this show and by its spirit of empowerment, as she confesses in this following video:
Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 Show
You don’t know: it’s a skin, it’s a dress, it’s a costume? Or maybe it’s the exteriorization of an attitude. The almost scary makeup and hair styles make those otherwise beautiful models look quite threatening. Move your sight from their head to their toes and you’ll understand: cuteness and smiles have nothing in common with walking on these monstrous hills. Despite all these, if you take away all drama and effects, you end up with perfectly wearable outfits for all moments of the day. I think this is the real art in fashion: make a memorable show, but give me something I want to buy and wear in my daily life. I’d wear many of the dresses in Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 show any time. Based on electric blue and black, the fabrics remind of an exotic bird’s feathers. One could easily believe those girls were born in their dresses, that’s how well they are tailored to fit.
Alexander McQueen has died! Long live Alexander McQueen!
On February 11th 2010, Alexander McQueen was found dead in his home. He committed suicide. When private persons die, their name continues to live only on the funerary stone. Public persons’ names have a life of their own, so when such a person passes away, the name keeps on living as if nothing happened. And if you happen to be the bearer of a name that’s been bought by a company like Gucci, you can be sure it will last long after you’ll be only a far away memory in the minds of a few people.
Despite initial uncertainty, the parent company of the Gucci Group, PPR, announced that there would be an Alexander McQueen show in Paris in the spring of 2010, and that the brand would continue without its founder, setting off speculation over who would succeed him. (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/alexander_mcqueen/index.html)
Bags by Alexander McQueen
Although he is mostly famous for his clothing creations and for his spectacular fashion shows, Alexander McQueen created several lines of handbags featuring amazing shapes and colors and top quality materials and execution. Here are a few of what I consider being among his best creations:
- Love Red Faithful Satchel
- Blue Kaiser Clutch
- Red Medium Faithful Tote
- Black Python Faithful Tote
- Midnight Faithful Tote
- Ziggy Mercury Chain Bag
