Alexander McQueen

There has been an extraordinary outpouring of grief over the death of Alexander McQueen at age 40. That is a testament to just how groundbreaking and powerful the British designer's vision was. (Read Tim Blanks' tributehere.) McQueen's work always provoked emotional reactionsextreme ones. One season, his audience shed tears of frustration over his inhospitable choice of venue; the next, tears of joy over the haunting beauty of both the clothes and the staging. Even as he entered his forties, the designer was hardly ever written about without the phrase "enfant terrible" following his name. And yet, despite the perennial badboy tag, he'd won all the big awards given out in London and was even honored by Queen Elizabeth as a Commander of the British Empire in 2003. Theatricality was the name of McQueen's gamefrom romantic, corseted silhouettes to gobsmacking gowns created from feathers or, say, fresh flowers but his grand gestures were backed up by incredible attention to detail and tailoring. He was born in 1969 in the East End, the son of a London cabbie. At 16, he began work as an apprentice cutter on Savile Row, where, according to a story too delicious not to be believed, he graffitied obscenities into the linings of suits intended for the Prince of Wales. After a brief sojourn in Milan cutting patterns for Romeo Gigli, McQueen enrolled at Central Saint Martins. In 1994, his graduate collection caught the eye of the late fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who purchased it for $7,750 and became his champion. The following year, McQueen cemented his rising-star status with the hackle-raising Highland Rape collection, which featured tattered dresses, bloodstained models, and his notoriously low-cut "bumster" pants. In 1996, Givenchy came calling, installing McQueen as chief designer. But his reign there was a tumultuous one: It ended in 2001, a few months after the Gucci Group bought a 51 percent stake in his own label. McQueen subsequently expanded into menswear, accessories, fragrance, and eyewear, and he launched a second line, McQ, in 2006. His Spring 2008 show was a tribute to his mentor, Issy Blow, who died in May 2007. It's hard to comprehend that he would follow her so soon.

Alexander McQueen was born in London on March 17th 1969, the youngest of six children. He left school at the age of 16 and was offered an apprenticeship at the traditional Savile Row tailors Anderson and Shephard and then at neighbouring Gieves and Hawkes, both masters in the technical construction of clothing. From there he moved to the theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans where he mastered 6 methods of pattern cutting from the melodramatic 16th Century to the razor sharp tailoring which has become a McQueen signature. Aged 20 he was employed by the designer Koji Tatsuno, who also had his roots in British tailoring. A year later McQueen travelled to Milan where he was employed as Romeo Giglis design assistant. On his return to London, he completed a Masters degree in Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins. He showed his MA collection in 1992, which was famously bought in its entirety by Isabella Blow. Alexander McQueen shows are known for their emotional power and raw energy, as well as the romantic but determinedly contemporary nature of the collections. Integral

to the McQueen culture is the juxtaposition between contrasting elements: fragility and strength, tradition and modernity, fluidity and severity. An openly emotional and even passionate viewpoint is realised with a profound respect and influence for the arts and crafts tradition. Alexander's collections combine an in-depth working knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, the fine workmanship of the French Haute Couture atelier and the impeccable finish of Italian manufacturing. In less than 10 years McQueen became one of the most respected fashion designers in the world. In October 1996 he was appointed Chief Designer at the French Haute Couture House Givenchy where he worked until March of 2001. In December 2000, 51% of Alexander McQueen was acquired by the Gucci Group, where he remained Creative Director. Collections include women's ready-to-wear, men's ready-to-wear, accessories, eyewear and fragrance (Kingdom 2003 and MyQueen 2005). Expansion followed and included the opening of flagship stores in New York, London, Milan, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The following awards have recognized Alexander McQueens achievement in fashion: British Designer of the year 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2003, International Designer of the Year by The Council of Fashion Designer's of America (CFDA) in 2003, A Most Excellent Commander of The British Empire (CBE) by her Majesty the Queen in 2003, GQ Menswear Designer of the Year in 2007.

Born: Lee McQueen, London, England. Education: Left school at the age of 16; apprenticed as a tailor with Saville Row tailors Anderson & Shepard and later Gieves & Hawkes, 1990-92; M.A., St. Martin's School of Art, 1992. Career: Briefly worked with Koji Tatsuno, 1992; assistant to Romeo Gigli, Milan, 1993-94; launched his own line, 1994; succeeded John Galliano as head designer of Givenchy, 1997; sold 51 percent of his own label toGucci, 1997; fashions currently available in London, New York, Paris, and Japan. Awards: British Designer of the Year, 1996, 1997, 2001. Address: 47 Conduit Street, London, England, W1R 9FB. Website:www.alexandermcqueen.com.

Alexander McQueen is most notably known as the genius of various tailoring techniques. He has audaciously set a different fashion stage in England, where his outlandish fashion shows have brought energy and attention to a fairly quiet and conservative fashion market. The last extreme attention London received was back in the 1960s when Mary Quant entered with the mod look. McQueen's clothes are beautiful and wearable, but he receives most of his attention for his outrageous personality and vibrant character. He is a designer with the stamina to pursue and conquer the world of fashion; by the dawn of the 21st century, McQueen was a fashion icon in the making. McQueen grew up in London, one of six children of a cab driver and a homemaker. His family struggled financially while McQueen was growing up, so to help the family along, he starting making dresses for his three sisters. At this point, his desire to become a fashion designer began to evolve. He expressed an interest to his parents about a career in fashion, and they were against it. "I was the pink sheep of the family!" McQueen told Elle magazine. His parents later became extremely supportive of his career and very proud of his accomplishments.

McQueen has truly grown up in the eyes of the fashion press. He left school at the age of 16 and landed anapprenticeship with Saville Row tailors Anderson & Shepard, later working for Gieves & Hawkes. McQueen has said, "It is important to learn the basics of cut and proportion." Through his apprenticeships, he mastered six methods of pattern cutting, from the 16th century to the present; his talented tailoring techniques are well known within the fashion industry. At 20, McQueen worked as an assistant to designer Romeo Gigli in Milan, who was extremely impressed with his skills. After a short period working for Gigli, McQueen returned to London to study at Central St. Martin's College of Art and Design. He wanted to be admitted into the Masters of Art program but lacked a formal education. He showed his portfolio to the director of the school, who was very impressed with the work, and admitted the fledglingdesigner immediately. McQueen's first international exposure came while presenting his final collection at St. Martin's, and he received an enormous amount of press coverage. McQueen launched his own line in 1992 and on one occasion used crushed beetles and human hair in a fashion show. His presentations have always been full of unpredictable magic and madness. "In the past, he has dressed models in chadors and hoisted them into the air, where they did somersaults and pirouettes until finally miming their own electrocution," wrote the Washington Post in December 2000. In 1996 McQueen replaced John Galliano, ready-to-wear head designer at Givenchy's Haute Couture, but he was not embraced by the fashion press as a designer who was sophisticated enough to handle the Givenchy customer. He was viewed as too controversial and the same month he replaced Galliano, he also received notoriety as British Designer of the Year. Within two years, McQueen was unhappy at Givenchy, and in an interview in Arena magazine, dared his employers to fire him. But before his contract expired, he sold a 51-percent stake in his own label to rival Gucci. Owning the remaining interest in his company still allowed him to have full creative independence. During the breakup with Givenchy, McQueen produced some of his most beautiful clothes to date in his career. The show once again was very controversial, with the setting in an insane asylum. The show, however, confirmed his reputation of producing fashion with an edge. In the early 2000s, McQueen was concentrating on his own label under a Gucci-McQueen partnership. He was quoted in an article in WWD (5 June 2000) saying, "It hasn't been as easy as it seems leaving Givenchy and being able to focus strictly on McQueen. Now I'm seeing all the mistakes we made in the past. At some stage, you have to grow up. It's important now that people focus on the clothes rather than someone in a clown suit." McQueen continued working on his own line, redesigning the label and packaging, a new store design, preparing the launch of a fragrance in 2003, considering a cosmetics line under the Gucci Group, as well as overseeing the licensing of his eyewear. Alexander McQueen is a designer who has carved his own career path in the fashion industry. He is a workaholicwho keeps moving forward despite the sometimes negative media surrounding him. He is an artist, not just a fashion designer, who does not let the commercial value of his clothing take away from the controversial presentation necessary to draw attention to his creations.