Before I attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit "Savage Beauty" a few weekends ago, I wanted to put together a photo blog on every womenswear fashion show Alexander McQueen has ever done under his namesake brand. I know in blogging the general rule is short and sweet, but this is a project that required many photos to correctly and completely portray Alexander McQueen's career in fashion design.
This took me many hours of research to complete, so I hope you enjoy!
“I’ve seen a woman get nearly beaten to death by her husband. I know what misogyny is … I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.” - Alexander McQueen
Above left: photo from McQueen's graduate collection. Above right and bottom: Photos by Sølve Sundsbø. Pink silk satin jacket printed in thorn pattern lined in white silk with encapsulated human hair. From the collection of Isabella Blow courtesy of the Hon. Daphne Guinness. On loan to the Met for the "Savage Beauty" exhibit.
McQueen graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1992, but at this point in his career he was by no means an amateur designer. He had extensive experience with storied Savile Row tailors and had worked in theater costume design before he attended the famed London design school.
His inspiration behind his Central Saint Martins graduate show at London Fashion Week in February 1992 came from Jack the Ripper's Whitechapel victims. One of McQueen’s relatives owned an inn that housed a victim of Jack the Ripper, and his late mother remembers how hungrily McQueen researched the notorious Victorian killer as a boy.
Locks of hair were sewn into the clothes, in remembrance of the hair the prostitutes would have sold in nineteenth century London. Photos of women in compromising positions were screen printed onto pieces for a haunting effect. This collection marked the beginning of a close friendship between McQueen and eccentric stylist Isabella Blow, who famously bought the entire collection for £5,000, which she paid in weekly installments of £100.
Fall/Winter 1993 - Taxi Driver
There are no public photos of this collection, but I know that this collection was inspired by the 1976 Scorsese film of the same name. McQueen received a lot of criticism for his bruised and bloodied models, who were wrapped in latex or draped in prints of Robert De Niro's tortured protagonist Travis Bickle. The collection was shown at the Ritz Hotel in London.
This took me many hours of research to complete, so I hope you enjoy!
“I’ve seen a woman get nearly beaten to death by her husband. I know what misogyny is … I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.” - Alexander McQueen
1992 - Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims (Central Saint Martins Graduation Collection)
McQueen graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1992, but at this point in his career he was by no means an amateur designer. He had extensive experience with storied Savile Row tailors and had worked in theater costume design before he attended the famed London design school.
His inspiration behind his Central Saint Martins graduate show at London Fashion Week in February 1992 came from Jack the Ripper's Whitechapel victims. One of McQueen’s relatives owned an inn that housed a victim of Jack the Ripper, and his late mother remembers how hungrily McQueen researched the notorious Victorian killer as a boy.
Locks of hair were sewn into the clothes, in remembrance of the hair the prostitutes would have sold in nineteenth century London. Photos of women in compromising positions were screen printed onto pieces for a haunting effect. This collection marked the beginning of a close friendship between McQueen and eccentric stylist Isabella Blow, who famously bought the entire collection for £5,000, which she paid in weekly installments of £100.
Fall/Winter 1993 - Taxi Driver
There are no public photos of this collection, but I know that this collection was inspired by the 1976 Scorsese film of the same name. McQueen received a lot of criticism for his bruised and bloodied models, who were wrapped in latex or draped in prints of Robert De Niro's tortured protagonist Travis Bickle. The collection was shown at the Ritz Hotel in London.
Spring/Summer 1994 - Nihilism
This was McQueen's first official collection, but the London-born bad boy was already a star, thanks to his aforementioned graduate collection and friendship with Issie Blow.
In his "Nihilism" collection, clothes splattered in blood and mud established McQueen as London Fashion Week's newest "enfant terrible." This collection also debuted McQueen's infamous 'bumster' pants, an experiment at elongating the female torso. 'Bumsters' received an enormous amount of press coverage in the nineties and started the decade-long trend for dangerously low-cut pants.
In 1996, McQueen told The Guardian Weekend that "To me, that part of the body—not so much the
buttocks, but the bottom of the spine—that’s the most erotic part of anyone’s body, man or woman.”
buttocks, but the bottom of the spine—that’s the most erotic part of anyone’s body, man or woman.”
The Independent was not impressed with McQueen's debut. The article, titled "McQueen’s Theatre of Cruelty," said that "Alexander McQueen’s debut was a horror show … McQueen, who is 24 and from London’s East End, has a view that speaks of battered women, of violent lives, of grinding daily existences offset by wild, drug-enhanced nocturnal dives into clubs where the dress code is semi-naked."
Fall/Winter 1994 - Banshee
Spring/Summer 1995 - The Birds
Fall/Winter 1995 - Highland Rape
"I’d studied the history of the Scottish upheavals and the Clearances … People were so unintelligent they thought this was about women being raped – yet 'highland rape' was about England's rape of Scotland." ...I wanted to show that the war between the Scottish and the English was basically genocide.”
Spring/Summer 1996 - The Hunger
Fall/Winter 1996 - Dante
"Dante" opened with beautiful organ music that was eventually drowned by violent gunfire. To play up his Victorian theme, McQueen used notoriously "blue-blooded" models like Honor Frazer, Elizabetta Formaggia and Annabel Rothschild and emphasized their chiseled features with blood red lips and pale skin.
McQueen commented that the collection was "not so much about death, but the awareness that it's there." Patchworked and bleach splashed denim was paired with severe lace corsets and jackets photo-printed with images of Don McCullen’s war photographs. A lavender hand beaded corset symbolic for a Victorian stage of mourning demonstrated McQueen's continuous ability to find beauty in death. The collection was McQueen's first to highlight his love for interesting headwear - models wore masks decorated with crucifixes, jet crusted head pieces, and Phillip Treacy stag horn antlers (which undoubtedly inspired Viktor and Rolf in 2004).
For this collection, McQueen brought the drama with a 100 ft catwalk covered in water, but the expensive set was soon upstaged when black model Debra Shaw opened the show shackled to a large piece of jewelry.
The designer pooh poohed critics' accusations that he was glamorizing slavery, and instead claimed he wanted the restricting body jewelry to produce the jerky and mechanical movements of a doll or puppet.
According to McQueen, the collection was based on the work of German artist Hans Bellmer who dissected dummies and reconstructed them for a series of photographs in the 1930s titled "Poupée, variations sur le montage d'une mineure articulée" (The Doll, Variations on the Assemblage of an Articulated Minor). Bellmer's pubescent photographs were determined "degenerate" by the Nazi party and he was exiled from Germany in 1938, but his work was published (and praised) in France.
Fall/Winter 1997 - It's a Jungle out There
“The whole show feeling was about the Thompson’s gazelle. It’s a poor little critter – the markings are lovely. It’s got these dark eyes, the white and black with the tan markings on the side, the horns – but it is the food chain of Africa. As soon as it’s born it’s dead, I mean you’re lucky if it lasts a few months, and that’s how I see human life, in the same way. You know, we can all be discarded quite easily … you’re there, you’re gone, it’s a jungle out there!” McQueen quoted in Caroline Evans, Fashion at the Edge: Spectacle, Modernity and Deathliness (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2002)
"It's a Jungle Out there" was shown in Borough Market in London. The backdrop was a screen of corrugated iron, which was completely covered in fake bullet holes. Dry ice and crimson lighting added extra drama. Models with painted faces wearing horns and hides walked around wrecked cars. Exaggerated tailored pieces fashioned from animal skins again displayed McQueen's incredible technique. One jacket even featured taxidermy heads of baby crocs. Despite all the authentic skins and animals used, none were used solely for the collection - every skin featured was from an animal already used for its meat.
Spring/Summer 1998 - The Golden Shower or Untitled
Inspired by the brutal murders of the Romanov dynasty, models walked the runway wearing chain mail ensembles and red leather suits. Peroxide blonde models with creepy red contacts wore sequined dresses screen printed with pictures of the Romanov children. The ghoulish spectacle ended with a satanic ring of fire enclosing a masked model on the runway.
Spring/Summer 1999 - No. 13
Olympic athlete and amputee Aimee Mullins walked the "No. 13" runway wearing beautifully carved prosthetic legs, a rigid leather bodice and a delicate lace skirt all designed by McQueen (top).
When asked about the experience years later, Mullins said "The fact is, nobody knew that they were prosthetic legs. They were the star of the show—these wooden boots peeking out from under this raffia dress—but in fact, they were actually legs made for me. His clothes have always been very sensuous, and I mean the full gamut of that. So hard and strict and unrelenting, as life can be sometimes."
The show ended when supermodel Shalom Harlow walked the runway in a white trapeze dress that was dramatically spray painted by two robots (video above - skip to the :40 mark).
Fall/Winter 1999 - The Overlook
The show ended when supermodel Shalom Harlow walked the runway in a white trapeze dress that was dramatically spray painted by two robots (video above - skip to the :40 mark).
Fall/Winter 1999 - The Overlook
"The Overlook" was based on Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining. Models ice-skated in luxurious furs, elaborate bustiers and full skirts, while it gently snowed producing a gorgeous effect.
Shaun Leane: The “Coiled” Corset was a particularly amazing piece because I had to cast the model’s torso in concrete to get an exact form of her, and then I had to literally form every coil, one by one, front and back, and work all the way up, so that it was a perfect fit. And she’s actually placed into the corset, and then it’s screwed all along the side, and up the arms, and beside the neck. There are tiny, little bolts, so the model’s actually screwed into the piece. It’s not heavy. It’s made from aluminum, and even though it looks quite restrictive, the model actually said the piece was actually very, very comfortable.
Spring/Summer 2000 - The Eye
For "The Eye," McQueen turned the runway into a terrifying bed of metal spikes and nails. Models were lifted into the air showing off sheer knits, body hugging jerseys and a controversial makeover of the burka among other racy interpretations of Middle Eastern dress.
Fall/Winter 2000 - Eshu
Inspired by the Yoruba people of West Africa, "Eshu" emphasized the raw power of McQueen's designs. Perhaps pressured by criticisms that his shows featured too many unnecessary theatrics, McQueen drew all the attention to the clothes, stripped of any potential distractions. For the collection, McQueen mixed tribal styling with luxurious craftmanship to a breathtaking effect. McQueen received widespread acclaim for this collection.
It's important to note that at this time, McQueen was also designing for Givenchy. The couture experience he received while designing for the storied brand influenced the details and craftmanship in his namesake line immensely.
For "Voss," the audience sat around a mirrored cube and was forced to stare at themselves until the show (which was intentionally delayed) started. Once the show began, the cube lit up to reveal a mental hospital setting on the other side of the mirror. Models clad in intricate gowns decorated in thousands of feathers or painted seashells wandered around the mirrored cage like exotically beautiful trapped animals. For the finale, a naked Michelle Olley (below) reclined on a couch while breathing through a tube, inspired by a demented photo by Joel-Peter Witkin. The elaborate show cost £70,000 to produce and the set took seven days to construct.
Fall/Winter 2001 - What a Merry Go Round
A merry-go-round and sounds of children playing seemed an unlikely atmosphere for an Alexander McQueen show, but after the lights went down and the metal soundtrack started up, any cutesy connotations quickly disappeared. This was a nightmare circus, featuring rough and tumble stripper-like models gyrating around the carousel poles wearing feathery flapper dresses, sharp suits and satin evening gowns, at times exposing an R-rated amount of skin.
The show displayed a creepy backdrop of huge stuffed animals, ragged puppets and battered dolls, which accompanied the tattered lace dresses, shredded hems and golden skeleton accessories quite nicely.
Spring/Summer 2002 - The Dance of the Twisted Bull
This was McQueen's first collection since partnering with Gucci Group. He decided to show in Paris for the first time, but it was traditional Spanish matadors and flamenco dancers that influenced his work. The designer flirted with controversy once again sending models down the runway impaled by bullfighter spears, or banderillas, to support long ruffled trains.
Fall/Winter 2002 - Supercalifragilistic
McQueen presented this collection in the eerie medieval hall of the Conciergerie, the spot where Marie Antoinette is thought to have died. McQueen later described the creepy collection saying: "It was kind of Tim Burton, about little girls, a macabre Walt Disney kind of thing. And I had Little Lilac Riding Hood, with the wolves, but the wolves were her pets!"
The designer again showed off his expert tailoring skills with razor sharp suits outfitted with leather braces and tight pencil skirts. Thigh high leather boots and bosomy necklines lent the finishing touches to McQueen's kinky schoolteachers and naughty schoolgirls that must have thrilled the straight guys in the audience.
Spring/Summer 2003 - Irere
After losing 30 pounds and joining Gucci Group, McQueen went in a brand new direction for his spring/summer collection. The runway show featured a traditionally creepy backdrop projection of an underwater model and horror movie haunted woods, but the runway was filled with uncharacteristically pretty creations. McQueen unfolded a sartorial fairy tale beginning with sexy pirates, shipwrecked beauties, and ending with birds of paradise in the rainforest.
Fall/Winter 2003 - Scanners
McQueen described this show to be like a "nomadic journey across the tundra". Runway models dramatically walked along a huge wind tunnel, dressed in otherworldly creations. It's a little hard for me to define this collection - there were a lot of different themes involved - but McQueen's star shined especially bright throughout. This show seemed like a couture show; almost every piece is exquisitely detailed and decorative.
An empire waist dress with an asymmetrical hem that did wonders for the best was THE silhouette of the season (Carrie wore one on SATC) and spawned a million knockoffs.
An empire waist dress with an asymmetrical hem that did wonders for the best was THE silhouette of the season (Carrie wore one on SATC) and spawned a million knockoffs.
Spring/Summer 2004 - Deliverance
Michael Clark choreographed the presentation based on the dance marathon in Sydney Pollack's Depression-era film They Shoot Horses Don't They? Staged in the Salle Wagram, a 19th century Parisian dance hall, the show's models and dancers had to rehearse for two weeks in London before the elaborate spectacle.
In the opening scene, girls dressed in lamé gowns and feathers danced on the arms of suave sailors. The elimination race, modeled off the movie, featured fluorescent clad models in sportier attire running for their lives in a race to the death dash around the hall.
Eventually the competition proved too much to bear for one sequined Karen Elson, who theatrically fainted on center stage, in grand dramatic form. As McQueen and Clark carried off her mock-lifeless body, the audience erupted in a thunderous standing ovation. If this unique collection proved anything, it's that McQueen really knew how to put the "show" in fashion show.
Fall/Winter 2004 - Pantheon as Lecum
McQueen said he wanted to forget the theatrics and "focus purely on design" for this collection, but the fashion provocateur didn't forgo his signature showmanship entirely. Models walked from a spaceship onto a landing pad wearing ethereal designs. Beautiful draping techniques all but replaced McQueen's usually strictly structured silhouettes. While many critics panned this collection, I thought it was brilliant. It was a little like the best of Star Wars - there were furry ewoks, Princess Leias and desert nomads. A spacey illuminated neckpiece and moon colored satin skirt closed the show. There were a few unflattering pieces, but overall it was otherworldy and gorgeous.
Spring/Summer 2005 - It's Only a Game
McQueen again showed off his theatrical side and transformed the runway into a giant chessboard. This collection featured all McQueen's greatest hits. The 1975 film Picnic at Hanging Rock inspired the opening Edwardian-themed looks, with sharp Savile Row tailcoats. The 18th century followed, including puffball miniskirts and Empire waist dresses. Japanese kimonos, molded corsets and sci-fi suits were all included, and they all somehow cohesively worked together for the chess piece theme. Once all 36 models had taken place on the board, a match ensued, complete with a robotic narrating voice (video above). But even with all the theatrics, the clothes were the real winners here.
Fall/Winter 2005 - The Man who knew too much
A tribute to multiple Hitchcock films, McQueen's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" collection featured feminine retro silhouettes inspired by screen sirens from past decades. Suited Tippi Hendren lookalikes, Marilyns in body hugging satins, and Bardots in stripes paraded down the runway in an visual love letter to all things vintage. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" was critically panned for being too "safe," after years of criticism for being too edgy.
Spring/Summer 2006 - Neptune
Arguably his most traditional runway presentation, there were absolutely no bells and whistles during this fashion show. Models walked the runway in wearable Grecian styles in lovely cuts. Style.com said it was a "letdown"... "with all the finesse of something left over from an eighties sci-fi TV series."
Damn, harsh. While I agree that there was no chess game, couture fantasy gowns or Satanic ring of fire, the clothes were still beautifully constructed and pretty. Serves the critics right for condemning all his "theatrics" and alleged misogynistic portrayal of women.
At the end of the show, McQueen ran down the runway wearing a t-shirt that said "We Love You Kate," a reference to friend Kate Moss' cocaine scandal and cancelled modeling contracts.
Fall/Winter 2006 - Widows of Culloden
After two seasons of playing it safe, McQueen knocked 'em dead with this absolutely electrifying fashion show. One of his best, McQueen delved into his past, citing "Highland Rape" with Scottish tartans and "Dante" with suits cut in lovely lace. Devoid of any punk rock or sinister undertones, McQueen was able to reference his past, while putting his couture skills acquired at Givenchy to good use. The result was a stunningly beautiful collection dripping in pure genius.
According to McQueen, the "Widows Of Culloden" presentation was tribute to the women who lost their husbands in the bloody battle of Culloden. The finale was one of McQueen's most memorable: a larger-than-life sized holographic video of Kate Moss that appeared and disappeared in the most haunting fashion (video above). McQueen proved that not only could he shock audiences with elaborate fashion shows and tailor a suit with flawless precision, he was one of the most technologically aware, a useful advantage that would benefit him for the rest of his career.
Spring/Summer 2007 - Sarabande
McQueen's referenced the 1975 film Barry Lyndon and iconic eccentric Marchesa Casati for his gorgeous spring/summer collection. The Marchesa's love of living accessories (she sometimes wore live snakes as bracelets) inspired the showstopping gown made out of hundreds of fresh flowers. McQueen said of the dress: "Things rot. It was all about decay. I used flowers because they die".
Goya inspired Spanish infanta dresses and sharp signature tailoring were other notable highlights of the collection.
Fall/Winter 2007 - In Memory of Elizabeth How, Salem 1962
After a few seasons of "pretty" shows, McQueen returned to his dark side for this collection. The theme was black magic, fire and brimstone. McQueen's mother discovered that her ancestor was a victim of hanging during the Puritan Salem witch hysteria in 1692. Religious persecution was the general theme for the collection, and critics did not receive it positively. Cross adorned dresses mixed with gold Egyptian breastplates for a discombobulated result. Still, there were some pretty kickass dresses in the mix (see bottom pics).
This was McQueen's last negative review of his career.
Spring/Summer 2008 - La Dame Bleue
In remembrance of his dear friend and muse Isabella Blow [1958 – 2007], who committed suicide earlier that year, The "La Dame Bleue" collection was inspired by Blow's eccentric wardrobe, much of which was obviously by McQueen. The designer again teamed up with miliner Phillip Treacy, who was a favorite of Blow. the English hat maker designed Much of her extensive headware collection. The collection was a loving and beautiful tribute to the style icon, which (for the most part) squashed rumors that McQueen and Blow were feuding before her death.
Fall/Winter 2008 - The Girl who lived in the tree
"The Girl who lived in the tree" was inspired by the Indian Empire and a fictional fantasy McQueen dreamed up in his head. He explained to reporters "I’ve got a 600-year-old elm tree in my garden and I made up this story of a girl who lives in it and comes out of the darkness to meet a prince and become a queen."
Spring/Summer 2006 - Neptune
Damn, harsh. While I agree that there was no chess game, couture fantasy gowns or Satanic ring of fire, the clothes were still beautifully constructed and pretty. Serves the critics right for condemning all his "theatrics" and alleged misogynistic portrayal of women.
At the end of the show, McQueen ran down the runway wearing a t-shirt that said "We Love You Kate," a reference to friend Kate Moss' cocaine scandal and cancelled modeling contracts.
Fall/Winter 2006 - Widows of Culloden
According to McQueen, the "Widows Of Culloden" presentation was tribute to the women who lost their husbands in the bloody battle of Culloden. The finale was one of McQueen's most memorable: a larger-than-life sized holographic video of Kate Moss that appeared and disappeared in the most haunting fashion (video above). McQueen proved that not only could he shock audiences with elaborate fashion shows and tailor a suit with flawless precision, he was one of the most technologically aware, a useful advantage that would benefit him for the rest of his career.
Spring/Summer 2007 - Sarabande
McQueen's referenced the 1975 film Barry Lyndon and iconic eccentric Marchesa Casati for his gorgeous spring/summer collection. The Marchesa's love of living accessories (she sometimes wore live snakes as bracelets) inspired the showstopping gown made out of hundreds of fresh flowers. McQueen said of the dress: "Things rot. It was all about decay. I used flowers because they die".
Goya inspired Spanish infanta dresses and sharp signature tailoring were other notable highlights of the collection.
Fall/Winter 2007 - In Memory of Elizabeth How, Salem 1962
After a few seasons of "pretty" shows, McQueen returned to his dark side for this collection. The theme was black magic, fire and brimstone. McQueen's mother discovered that her ancestor was a victim of hanging during the Puritan Salem witch hysteria in 1692. Religious persecution was the general theme for the collection, and critics did not receive it positively. Cross adorned dresses mixed with gold Egyptian breastplates for a discombobulated result. Still, there were some pretty kickass dresses in the mix (see bottom pics).
This was McQueen's last negative review of his career.
Spring/Summer 2008 - La Dame Bleue
Fall/Winter 2008 - The Girl who lived in the tree
"The Girl who lived in the tree" was inspired by the Indian Empire and a fictional fantasy McQueen dreamed up in his head. He explained to reporters "I’ve got a 600-year-old elm tree in my garden and I made up this story of a girl who lives in it and comes out of the darkness to meet a prince and become a queen."
This is my favorite McQueen collection. Beautiful, breathtaking, brilliant. This collection is the stuff of dreams, and will surely stand out as one of the most influential of all time, in a technical sense. The construction of the clothes, the painstaking details, and the luxurious fabric selections were all sheer perfection. Clicking through the show literally gives me goosebumps and stirs up an incredible feeling of sadness that a true fashion visionary is gone. If you don't believe that fashion is art, please browse through this collection on style.com. I guarantee you will be proved wrong.
Spring/Summer 2009 - Natural Dis-tinction, Un-Natural Selection
Inspired by Charles Darwin, the survival of the fittest, and global issues like climate change and industrialization, McQueen sent out a collection with an environmental message. But beside the stuffed animal props, the clothes weren't heavily political.
Futuristic digital prints, which adorned McQueen's typical nipped waist and skinny suited silhouettes, showed off McQueen's technological mindset while details like perfectly flounced skirts and corseted bodices proved his couture mastery. McQueen said he "doesn't want to preach" about the negative effects of the 21st century, so to lighten the mood, he took his bow at the end of the show in a hilarious bunny costume.
Spring/Summer 2009 - Natural Dis-tinction, Un-Natural Selection
Futuristic digital prints, which adorned McQueen's typical nipped waist and skinny suited silhouettes, showed off McQueen's technological mindset while details like perfectly flounced skirts and corseted bodices proved his couture mastery. McQueen said he "doesn't want to preach" about the negative effects of the 21st century, so to lighten the mood, he took his bow at the end of the show in a hilarious bunny costume.
Fall/Winter 2009 - The Horn of Plenty
McQueen's anger at the collapsed economy and its effect on fashion was hinted at during this so ugly it's pretty collection. A shattered glass runway decorated with scraps of materials from his previous shows made up a showy backdrop for the fashion freak show. Clown lipped models wearing harlequin suits, bold stripes and exaggerated prints paraded down the runway while the appropriate Marilyn Manson song "Beautiful People" played on repeat.
The playful caricature of Dior's "New Look" era and a few over-the-top, only for the runway pieces made for a flashy spectacle, but McQueen never sacrificed his signature craftmanship in the name of theatrics. Fabulous frocks and razor sharp suits still reigned supreme despite the hubaloo of feathered straightjackets, cartoon makeup and zany headgear. Most critics praised the collection, but there were a few who thought it an ugly and misogynistic portrayal of women.
Spring/Summer 2010 - Plato's Atlantis
An apocalyptic forecast of the future ecological meltdown of the world, this genius collection was probably his most innovative. Otherworldly models stomped down the runway in digital print reptile-patterned dresses and grotesque 11 inch shoes (which instantly became collectors items). Two enormous sci-fi robots with video cameras moved up and down the runway, while a video of Raquel Zimmermann writhing naked in the sand covered in live snakes played in the background.
McQueen became the first designer to live stream a fashion show for the general public, a huge technological feat in fashion. While many designers had not yet made social media and technology a priority, McQueen's "access for everyone" approach gave him the superstar recognition he deserved. However, once Lady Gaga tweeted that she would debut her single "Bad Romance" during the show, the enormous traffic to the link crashed the whole broadcast. No matter. The pop star wore many of the pieces during her music video debut soon after, giving McQueen enormous press.
Fall/Winter 2010 - Untitled
McQueen's suicide on February 11th rocked the fashion industry to it's core, but his fashion team decided the best thing they could do to honor his legacy was to put the finishing touches on his last collection. The presentation was respectful and somber, albeit in a much more private and quiet setting than what McQueen himself would have chosen. Only a select group of editors was invited to the showing, consisting of elaborately detailed pieces inspired by medieval religious paintings. Prints of artwork were digitally woven into the showpieces for an ethereal but haunting effect. The classical opera music that McQueen had listened to during the creative process was the soundtrack for the presentation.
McQueen's final show was tragically beautiful indeed, a fitting body of work for a tortured artist. The show notes for the collection read: "Each piece is unique, as was he."
Sources: Contemporaryfashion.net, style.com, alexandermcqueen.com, Time Out magazine, Women's Wear Daily, Harper's & Queen, Vogue, Vogue UK, i-D, and The Fashion Spot.
