Alexander McQueen was one of the most influential and innovative fashion designers in the world. He was born in London on March 17, 1969 and discovered his passion for fashion at an early age. He left school at 16 and began an apprenticeship with the renowned tailor Anderson & Sheppard on Savile Row, where he learned the art of tailoring. He later worked for other renowned designers such as Koji Tatsuno, Romeo Gigli and Givenchy.
McQueen founded his own fashion label in 1993 and presented his first collection under the title “Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims”. His designs were characterized by a radical aesthetic that combined elements from history, art, nature and subculture. He played with contrasts between beauty and ugliness, life and death, romance and rebellion. He created garments that were both provocative and poetic, such as a dress made of real flowers that wilted during the show, or an ensemble of feathers that resembled a raven.
McQueen was not only a master craftsman, but also a visionary of staging. He transformed his fashion shows into spectacular performances that transported the audience to other worlds. He used light, music, video, special effects and unconventional models to convey his messages. Some of his most famous shows were “Highland Rape” (1995), which dealt with the fate of Scotland, “Voss” (2001), and “Plato’s Atlantis” (2010), which was his last collection.
However, McQueen was also a deeply vulnerable person. He had to cope with several tragic losses in his life, such as the death of his close friend and mentor Isabella Blow in 2007 and that of his mother Joyce in 2010, taking his own life at his home in London on February 11, 2010.
Alexander McQueen left an incomparable legacy in the fashion world and beyond. His creations can be seen today in various museums and exhibitions. His label is carried on today by his longtime collaborator Sarah Burton, who respects and continues to develop his spirit and vision. Alexander McQueen was a genius, a rebel, a poet and an artist who broke the boundaries of fashion and enriched the world with his imagination.