He has been called l'enfant terrible, meaning a person who breaks all the rules, and the hooligan of English fashion. He broke into this world by storm and never ceased to amaze. His designs stood in contrast to the world around him, making him impossible to forget. Sarah Burton continues Alexander McQueen's vision by constantly juxtaposing contrasts: softness and strength, tradition and modernity, fluidity and austerity.
In his early collections McQueen sewed strands of his own hair embedded in Plexiglas onto his clothes to serve as his labels. He created such expressive shows for his collections that the press called them horror spectacles. He loved references to films and interpreted Scorsese's Taxi Driver and Hitchcock's The Birds in his own way. "The 'terrible child" of fashion had been interested in fashion since childhood.
From Lee to Alexander
Lee Alexander McQueen was the youngest of six siblings. They lived in east London. As a toddler he was already sewing dresses for his three sisters. From childhood he was fascinated by birds, which would later often appear in his collections. He quickly left comprehensive schools in favour of tailoring courses and later studies related to clothing design. Apprenticeships gained with notable London tailors gave him unparalleled skills in cutting. For a while he was involved in creating theatrical costumes, including "Les Miserables".
He initially applied for a job teaching pattern cutting at Central Saint Martins, which he didn't get because he was 21 and too young to teach peers. However, he was persuaded to study at the university and his thesis, defended in 1992, opened the door to his career. The Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims collection was bought in full by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who became McQueen's mentor and friend, paving his way through the fashion world. Later someone prompted him to only use his middle name because it sounds more serious.
Theatre of cruelty
His first collection after graduation, Taxi Driver, was inspired by a Martin Scorsese film. Unfortunately there is no documentation of it, as all the clothes were stolen after the presentation. McQueen's first professional show was in Chelsea in 1993. It was the Nihilism collection that earned him the title of "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion", as he released models looking bruised and bloody, in see-through clothes on the catwalk. Journalists called the show "theatre of cruelty" and a "horror show".
For the second show, Banshee, McQueen met Katy England and asked her to join him as creative director for the third collection, The Birds, in honour of the Alfred Hitchcock film. The main theme of the show was road accidents and the clothes had tyre marks. It featured a corset by the famous creator Mr Pearl. McQueen then started the trend of wearing low-rise jeans, for which he was initially laughed at and then copied around the world after Madonna appeared in them in an MTV commercial. One of his favourite designs was skulls.
The Highland Surrender collection, a reference to the Highland Clearances of Scotland, also caused controversy. Some of the models on the catwalk were wearing cut and torn clothes or shreds of lace in blood. Critics accused him of misogyny and embellishing rape. McQueen explained that he was referring to the rape of the English in Scotland. Responding to the charge of misogyny, he said he was aiming to empower women. He didn't convince everyone, because later in La Poupée (spring/summer 1997) he shackled the models in metal bonds, which observers saw as slavery. Three years later, the lip make-up of the models in Horn of Plenty - made to resemble sex dolls - stirred up debate.
He romanced pop culture. In 1996 he designed the wardrobe for David Bowie's tour, including the Union Jack coat worn by the musician on the cover of his album Earthling. Icelandic singer Björk wore his creation on the cover of her 1997 album Homogenic, McQueen also directed the video for her song "Alarm Call" from the same album and later created the iconic topless dress for her video "Pagan Poetry".
From Givenchy to Gucci
When creative director Givenchy John Galliano moved to Dior in 1996, his position was offered to McQueen. His takeover was not without a scuffle with the founder of the elegant brand. Hubert de Givenchy considered the appointment a "total disaster". In turn, upon his arrival at Givenchy, McQueen insulted the founder by calling him "irrelevant". McQueen's debut for Givenchy, spring summer 1997, featured creations inspired by Greek mythology in gold and white. Over time he toned down the designs under this label, but did not give up his rebellious temperament, fulfilling himself under his own name.
Letting his creativity run free, he co-created, among other things, gorgeous, richly made corsets. In New York he presented designs that were a sexualised version of traditional Islamic dress. During a show of the Voss collection in 2001 a glass display case filled with moths stood in the middle of the stage and within it in a smaller display case sat a nude model with her face obscured by a gas mask. She appeared to the audience as the walls of the inner display case fell away and crumbled to the ground.
Before ending his contract with Givenchy, McQueen signed a deal with Givenchy's rival, the Gucci Group in 2000, provoking his dismissal. The new deal allowed him to develop his own brand. In the next years many boutiques bearing his name opened around the world and the brand also expanded into perfumes, eyewear and accessories, sports shoes, and a men's line. He spread his wings more and more and his shows had more and more momentum. The last one, at Paris Fashion Week on 6 October 2009, referenced the mythical Atlantis and was the first fashion show to be broadcast live over the Internet.
At the time of his death, Alexander McQueen had 80 percent of his autumn/winter collection prepared. Sixteen outfits were completed by his design team and shown to small groups of specially invited audiences. It was unofficially titled Angels and Demons. Those who were there confirmed the creator's obsession with the afterlife. Alexander McQueen committed suicide on 11 February 2010.
Sarah Burton to lead the brand
After the owner of Gucci confirmed that the brand would continue, McQueen's long-time assistant Sarah Burton became the new creative director. She ended up in his studio while studying at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London on the recommendation of her teacher, Simon Ungless. After graduating in 1997, she joined the company full-time as McQueen's personal assistant. Three years later she was appointed head of womenswear. During this time she created dresses for Michelle Obama, Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga and Gwyneth Paltrow.
After taking the leadership of the fashion house, Burton presented the first McQueen womenswear collection in Paris in September 2010, which she entirely created. In 2011 she designed Catherine Middleton's wedding dress for her wedding to Prince William, her dress for the wedding celebrations and Pippa Middleton's bridesmaid creation. In 2012 she was named in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. She continues to successfully run the brand founded by a brilliant visionary. Particularly noteworthy are the designs created under her direction, that combine accessories with jewellery, such as the handbag with a four-finger ring.
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