Alexander McQueen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the designer. For the brand, see Alexander McQueen (brand). For the actor, see Alex
Macqueen. For the soccer player, see Alexander McQueen (footballer).

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen by FashionWirePress.jpg

Alexander McQueen at his Autumn 2009 collection

Born Lee Alexander McQueen

17 March 1969

Lewisham, London, England

Died 11 February 2010 (aged 40)[1]

Mayfair, London, England

Cause of death Asphyxiation due to suicide by hanging

Resting place Kilmuir, Skye

Nationality British

Education Central Saint Martins

Label(s) Alexander McQueen, McQ

Awards British Fashion Designer of the Year

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Council of Fashion Designers of America International Designer of the Year 2003

Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and
couturier.[2] He is known for having worked as chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001 and for
founding his own Alexander McQueen label.[2] His achievements in fashion earned him four British
Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003), as well as the CFDA's International Designer
of the Year award in 2003.[2] McQueen died by suicide in 2010, at the age of forty, at his home in
Mayfair, London.

Contents
1 Early life and education

2 Career

2.1 Givenchy appointment

2.2 VOSS

2.3 Accomplishments

2.4 Company

3 Personal life

4 Death and memorial

5 Tributes

6 Final runway presentation

7 Final show

8 In film

9 See also

10 References

11 Further reading

11.1 Biographies

12 External links

Early life and education

Born on 17 March 1969 in Lewisham, London, to Scottish[3] taxi driver Ronald[4] and social science
teacher Joyce, McQueen was the youngest of six children.[5][6] He reportedly grew up in a council
flat,[7] but, in fact, the McQueens moved to a terraced house in Stratford in his first year.[8]

McQueen later attended Rokeby School and left aged 16 in 1985 with one O-level in art,[5] going on to
complete a tailoring course at Newham College and serve an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors
Anderson & Sheppard, before joining Gieves & Hawkes and, later, the theatrical costumiers Angels and
Bermans.[9] While serving his apprenticeship, McQueen attended the Rosetta Art Centre[10] led by
Yvonne Humble, who also wrote his reference that saw him go straight on to an MA course at Central St
Martins. The skills he learned as an apprentice on Savile Row helped earn him a reputation in the
fashion world as an expert in creating an impeccably tailored look.[11]
Career

McQueen returned to London and applied to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, to work as
a pattern cutter tutor. Because of the strength of his portfolio he was persuaded by Bobby Hillson, the
Head of the Masters course, to enroll in the course as a student.[12][13] He received his master's degree
in fashion design and his 1992 graduation collection was bought in its entirety by influential fashion
stylist Isabella Blow, who was said to have persuaded McQueen to become known as Alexander (his
middle name) when he subsequently launched his fashion career.[6] Isabella Blow paved the way for
Alexander McQueen using her unique style and contacts to help him she was in many ways his mentor.
It was during this period that McQueen relocated to Hoxton, which housed other new designers,
including Hussein Chalayan and Pauric Sweeney.[14] It was shortly after creating his second
collection,"McQueen's Theatre of Cruelty", that McQueen met Katy England, his soon to be "right hand
woman",[15] when outside of a "high profile fashion show" trying to "blag her way in".[16] He promptly
asked her to join him for his third collection, "The Birds" at Kings Cross, as "creative director".[16] Katy
England continued to work with McQueen thereafter, greatly influencing his work – his "second
opinion".[15]

McQueen designed the wardrobe for David Bowie's tours in 1996-1997, as well as the Union Jack coat
worn by Bowie on the cover of his 1997 album Earthling. Icelandic singer Björk sought McQueen's work
for the cover of her album Homogenic in 1997.[17] McQueen also directed the music video for her song
"Alarm Call" from the same album[18] and later contributed the iconic topless dress to her video for
"Pagan Poetry".[19] McQueen also collaborated with dancer Sylvie Guillem, director Robert Lepage and
choreographer Russell Maliphant, designing wardrobe for theater show "Eonnagata", directed by Robert
Lepage. The film "Sylvie Guillem, on the edge" produced by French production company A DROITE DE LA
LUNE, traces whole history of the creation of the show, from first rehearsals which took place in Quebec
until world premiere which was held in 2008 at Sadler's Wells theatre in London.

Camilla Belle in a 2009 dress by Alexander McQueen, listed among "100 Best Dresses of the Decade" by
InStyle magazine.[20]

McQueen's early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics (earning
the title "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion"),[4] with trousers aptly named
"bumsters" and a collection titled "Highland Rape".[5][21][22] In 2004, journalist Caroline Evans also
wrote of McQueen's "theatrical staging of cruelty", in 032c magazine, referring to his dark and tortured
renderings of Scottish history.[23] McQueen was known for his lavish, unconventional runway shows: a
recreation of a shipwreck for his spring 2003 collection; spring 2005's human chess game; and his
autumn 2006 show "Widows of Culloden", which featured a life-sized hologram of supermodel Kate
Moss dressed in yards of rippling fabric.[24]

McQueen's "bumsters" spawned a trend in low rise jeans; on their debut they attracted many
comments and debate.[11] Michael Oliveira-Salac, the director of Blow PR and a friend of McQueen's
said, "The bumster for me is what defined McQueen."[11] McQueen also became known for using skulls
in his designs. A scarf bearing the motif became a celebrity must-have and was copied around the
world.[11]

McQueen has been credited with bringing drama and extravagance to the catwalk.[11] He used new
technology and innovation to add a different twist to his shows and often shocked and surprised
audiences. The silhouettes that he created have been credited for adding a sense of fantasy and
rebellion to fashion.[11] McQueen became one of the first designers to use Indian models in
London.[11]

Givenchy appointment

Upon arrival at Givenchy, McQueen insulted the founder by calling him "irrelevant". His first couture
collection with Givenchy was unsuccessful, with even McQueen telling Vogue in October 1997 that the
collection was "crap". McQueen toned down his designs at Givenchy, but continued to indulge his
rebellious streak, causing controversy in autumn 1998 with a show which included double amputee
model Aimee Mullins striding down the catwalk on intricately carved wooden legs.[22] This year also
saw McQueen complete one of his most famous runway shows previewing Spring/Summer 1999, where
a single model, Shalom Harlow, graced the runway in a strapless white dress, before being rotated
slowly on a revolving section of the catwalk whilst being sprayed with paint by two robotic guns.[25]
Givenchy designs released by Vogue Patterns during this period may be credited to the late
designer.[26]

McQueen received press attention after the May 2007 suicide of international style icon Isabella Blow.
Rumours were published that there was a rift between McQueen and Blow at the time of her death,
focusing on McQueen's under-appreciation of Blow.[27] In response to these rumours, McQueen told an
interviewer:[24]

"It's so much bollocks. These people just don't know what they're talking about. They don't know me.
They don't know my relationship with Isabella. It's complete bullshit. People can talk; you can ask her
sisters ... That part of the industry, they should stay away from my life, or mine and Isabella's life. What I
had with Isabella was completely dissociated from fashion, beyond fashion."

VOSS

One of McQueen's most celebrated and dramatic catwalk shows was his 2001 Spring/Summer
collection, named VOSS. The centre piece tableau that dominated the room was an enormous glass box.
But because the room outside the box was lit and the inside of the box was unlit, the glass walls
appeared as large mirrors, so that the seated audience saw only their own reflection. Finally, after an
hour, and when the show began, lights came on inside the enormous glass case and revealed the
interior to be filled with moths and, at the centre, a naked model on a chaise longue with her face
obscured by a gas mask. The glass walls then fell away and smashed on the ground.

The model chosen by McQueen to be the centre of the show was the British writer Michelle Olley. (The
show also featured Kate Moss and Erin O'Connor). McQueen said that the tableau was based on the Joel
Peter Witkin image Sanitorium.[28] The British fashion photographer Nick Knight later said of the VOSS
show on his SHOWstudio.com blog:

"The girl in the box was Michelle Olley. She modelled for me in a story I did called Sister Honey... She
was a writer and I remember she wrote a great piece on being the Butterfly Girl in the middle of that
(McQueen) Glass Box show. I was sat on the front row, inbetween Alexandra Schulman and Gwyneth
Paltrow. It was probably one of the best pieces of Fashion Theatre I have ever witnessed."[29]

Alexander McQueen later described his thoughts on the idea used during VOSS of forcing his audience
to stare at their own reflection in the mirrored walls for over an hour:

"Ha! I was really pleased about that. I was looking at it on the monitor, everyone trying not to look at
themselves. It was a great thing to do in the fashion industry—turn it back on them! God, I’ve had some
freaky shows."[30]

In 2011, Michelle Olley was asked by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to contribute to their
Alexander McQueen exhibition, Savage Beauty.[31] She was interviewed by The Met about VOSS for the
audio guide to the show. Olley's detailed diary/journal of modelling for McQueen—written between 18–
27 September as the show was being planned and staged—was included in the Met Museum website
coverage of the Savage Beauty exhibition.[32] The VOSS diary relates details of the show and encounters
with McQueen, ending with how Olley returned home after the show to find:

"...a MASSIVE bouquet of flowers has arrived, with a note [from McQueen] saying, "Thank you for
everything – you were beautiful! – Lee xxx"[32]

Accomplishments

Some of McQueen's accomplishments included being one of the youngest designers to achieve the title
"British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003;[9] he was also
awarded the CBE and named International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers in
2003.[33]

December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen, with the Gucci Group's acquiring 51% of his
company and McQueen's serving as Creative Director.[5] Plans for expansion included the opening of
stores in London, Milan, and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom and, most recently, My
Queen. In 2005, McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of trainers for the shoe
brand.[34] In 2006, he launched McQ, a younger, more renegade lower-priced line for men and women.

McQueen became the first designer to participate in MAC's promotion of cosmetic releases created by
fashion designers. The collection, McQueen, was released on 11 October 2007 and reflected the looks
used on the Autumn/Winter McQueen catwalk. The inspiration for the collection was the 1963 Elizabeth
Taylor movie Cleopatra, and thus the models sported intense blue, green, and teal eyes with strong
black liner extended Egyptian-style. McQueen handpicked the makeup.

Company

McQueen boutique in London (2013)

By the end of 2007, Alexander McQueen had boutiques in London, New York, Los Angeles, Milan, and
Las Vegas. Celebrity patrons, including Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rihanna,
Monica Brown and J-pop queens, such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, and Koda Kumi, have
frequently been spotted wearing Alexander McQueen clothing to events.[35] Björk, Ayumi Hamasaki
and Lady Gaga have often incorporated Alexander McQueen pieces in their music videos.[36]
Personal life

McQueen was openly gay and said he realized his sexual orientation when he was six years old.[37] He
told his family when he was 18 and, after a rocky period, they accepted his sexuality.[5] He described
coming out at a young age by saying, "I was sure of myself and my sexuality and I've got nothing to hide.
I went straight from my mother's womb onto the gay parade".[38]

In 2000, McQueen had a marriage ceremony with his partner George Forsyth, a documentary filmmaker,
on a yacht in Ibiza.[39] The marriage was not official, as same-sex marriage in Spain was not legal at that
time. The relationship ended a year later, with McQueen and Forsyth maintaining a close friendship.[40]

McQueen was an avid scuba diver and used his passion as a source of inspiration in his designs, including
spring 2010's "Plato's Atlantis". Much of his diving was done around the Maldives.[41]

Death and memorial

McQueen's death was announced on the afternoon of 11 February 2010. In the morning, his
housekeeper found him hanged at his home in Green Street, London W1.[42] Paramedics were called
and they pronounced him dead at the scene.[1]

Lee Alexander McQueen Headstone, Kilmuir, Isle of Skye.

Lee Alexander McQueen Headstone Back, Kilmuir, Isle of Skye

David LaChapelle, a friend of the designer, said that McQueen "was doing a lot of drugs and was very
unhappy" at the time of his death.[43] McQueen's death came just days before London Fashion Week,
although he was not scheduled to appear there.[44]

McQueen left a note saying, "Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee."[45] The Metropolitan Police
stated that the note was not suspicious, but did not confirm that the death was a suicide.[46] On 17
February 2010, Westminster Coroner's Court was told that a post-mortem examination found that
McQueen's death was due to asphyxiation and hanging. The inquest was adjourned until 28 April 2010,
where McQueen's death was officially recorded as suicide.[47][48] McQueen, who had been diagnosed
with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, took an overdose prior to hanging himself. He had taken
drug overdoses in May and July 2009.[49] Coroner Dr Paul Knapman reported finding "a significant level
of cocaine, sleeping pills, and tranquillizers in the blood samples taken after the designer's death."[50]

On behalf of Lee McQueen's family, Alexander McQueen [the company] today announces the tragic
news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand, has been found
dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we
are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee's family. Lee's family has asked for
privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.

— Alexander McQueen Office, Official Website, 11 February 2010[51]

On 3 February 2010, McQueen wrote on his Twitter page that his mother had died the day before,
adding: "RIP mumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx." Four days later, he wrote that he had had an "awful
week" but said "friends have been great", adding: "now i have to some how pull myself together".[52]
McQueen is survived by his father, three sisters, and two brothers.[53]

McQueen's funeral took place on 25 February 2010 at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, West
London.[54] His ashes were later scattered on the Isle of Skye at Kilmuir.[55] His Skye ancestry had been
a strong influence in his life and work.[56] McQueen's Scottish heritage—his father was born and had
ancestral roots in Skye—was evident in his life and work. Collections including Banshee (AW94-95) and
Highland Rape (AW95-96) draw on both Celtic culture and dark periods of Scotland's history, notably the
18th-century suppression of Scotland's Highland clan system following the final defeat of the Jacobite
rebellions. In asking for his remains to be interred in Kilmuir, looking over the sea in the north of Skye,
Alexander McQueen has joined members of his clan going back over many generations.

A memorial was held for McQueen at St. Paul's Cathedral on 20 September 2010. It was attended by
Björk, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney, Lady Gaga and Anna
Wintour[57] amongst 2,500 other invited guests.[58] On 18 February 2010, Robert Polet, the president
and chief executive of the Gucci Group, announced that the Alexander McQueen business would carry
on without its founder and creative director.[59]

The BBC reported that McQueen had reserved £50,000 of his wealth for his pet dogs so they could live
in the lap of luxury for the rest of their lives. He also bequeathed £100,000 each to four charities; these
include the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in South London, and the Blue Cross animal welfare charity in
Burford, Oxfordshire.[60]

Tributes

A dedication by a fan at an Alexander McQueen store after McQueen's death

On 16 February 2010, pop musician and friend Lady Gaga performed an acoustic, jazz rendition of her hit
single "Telephone" and segued into "Dance in the Dark" at the 2010 Brit Awards. During the
performance, Gaga paid tribute to McQueen, by dedicating a song to him.[61] She also commemorated
McQueen after accepting her award for Best International Artist, Best International Female, and Best
International Album. Gaga dedicated a song to him, titled "Fashion of His Love", on the special edition of
her third album, Born This Way.[62]

Björk, wearing a McQueen outfit, sang her rendition of "Gloomy Sunday" at the memorial at St. Paul's
Cathedral in London. Various other musicians, who were friends and collaborators with McQueen,
commentated on his death, including Kanye West, Courtney Love, and Katy Perry.[63]

In March 2010, celebrities including Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Annabelle Neilson, among others,
paid visual tribute to McQueen by wearing his distinctive 'manta' dresses.[64] The 'manta' dresses,
inspired by a scuba-diving holiday McQueen took to the Maldives in 2009,[64] came from McQueen's
'Plato's Atlantis' collection of Spring-Summer 2010 which was at the time currently available to
purchase. 'Manta' dresses had been worn by celebrities such as Daphne Guinness, Noot Seear, Anna
Paquin, and Lily Cole prior to his death, and following the announcement that he had died, remaining
stocks sold out despite prices starting at £2,800.[64]

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted a posthumous exhibition of McQueen's work
in 2011 titled Savage Beauty. The exhibition's elaborate staging includes unique architectural finishes
and soundtracks for each room.[65] Despite being open for only three months, it was one of the most
popular exhibitions in the museum's history.[66] The exhibition was so successful that Alexander
McQueen fans and industry professionals worldwide began rallying at Change.org to "Please Make
Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty a Traveling Exhibition" to bring honour to McQueen and see his
vision become a reality: to share his work with the entire world.[67] The exhibition then appeared in
London's Victoria & Albert Museum between 14 March and 2 August 2015. It sold over 480,000 tickets,
making it the most popular show ever staged at that museum.[68]
In 2012, McQueen was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a
new version of his most famous artwork—the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album
cover—to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life that he most admires.[69] McQueen is also
given homage in the popular MMO World of Warcraft. There is an NPC dedicated to Alexander
McQueen that is a Tailoring Trainer. This trainer is also the only one on the horde side that gives a
special quest Cloth Scavenging.[70]

In February 2015, on the fifth anniversary of McQueen's death, a new play based on the designer was
unveiled. McQueen, written by James Phillips, will be set over one night in London and follows a girl who
breaks into the designer's home to steal a dress and is caught by McQueen. The production takes
inspiration from his imaginative runway shows and will be directed by John Caird. It has been described
by McQueen's sister Janet as 'true to his spirit'.[71] Stephen Wight and Dianna Agron played the leading
roles.

Final runway presentation

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable
sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2018) (Learn how and when to
remove this template message)

Alexander McQueen's last appearance on a fashion show was in Plato's Atlantis, presented during Paris
Fashion Week on 6 October 2009. This Spring/Summer 2010 collection was inspired in the post-human
manifesto featuring 46 full looks.

The show began with a video of Raquel Zimmerman lying naked on sand with snakes on her body.
McQueen installed 2 giant cameras in the catwalk that moved back and forth documenting the entire
show and broadcasting it live on SHOWstudio. The inspiration for Plato's Atlantis was nature and the
post-human movement depicted by sea-reptile prints. The fashion show and the collection addresses
Darwin's evolution theories along with current global warming concerns. The fantasy collection, named
after Plato's island that sunk in the sea, forecasted a future in which humans had to evolve from earth to
water to survive. The color scheme changed from green and brown to blue and acqua and the models
had a strong androgynous touch as well as post-human. The prints also shifted from reptilian such as
snakes to prints of water creatures such as jellyfish and stingrays. The collection's final silhouettes gave
the models marine features while the McQueen's signature Armadillo shoe also transformed completely
the form of the models' anatomic foot. Plato's Atlantis was yet another way in which McQueen joined
fashion with technology.

Final show

Right before Alexander McQueen's death, he had an eighty percent finished Autumn/Winter collection,
16 pieces, presented during Paris Fashion Week on 8 March 2010, to a select handful of fashion editors
in a mirrored, gilded salon at the 18th-century Hôtel de Clermont-Tonnerre.

Fashion editors picked his final designs. Editors said the show was hard to watch because it showed how
McQueen was obsessed with the afterlife. The clothes had a medieval and religious look. Basic colours
that were repetitively used were red, gold and silver with detailed embroidery. His models were
accessorised to show his love for theatrical imagery. "Each piece is unique, as was he", McQueen's
fashion house said in a statement that was released with the collection.

After company owner Gucci confirmed that the brand would continue, McQueen's long-term assistant
Sarah Burton was named as the new creative director of Alexander McQueen in May 2010.[72] In
September 2010, Burton presented her first womenswear collection in Paris.[73]

In film

In 2016, it was announced that Jack O'Connell will play McQueen in an upcoming biographical film about
his life.[74] In 2017, O'Connell said he was no longer attached to the project.[citation needed]

See also

Alexander McQueen (brand)

Charles Guyette

References

"Alexander McQueen, UK fashion designer, found dead". BBC News. 11 February 2010. Archived from
the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

"Biography: Sarah Burton". alexandermcqueen.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012.
Retrieved 24 December 2011.
"Meeting the Queen was like falling in love". The Guardian. London. 20 April 2004. Retrieved 24
December 2011.

"Alexander McQueen: fashion mourns the loss of its brilliant 'enfant terrible'". The Daily Telegraph.
London.

Cartner-Morley, Jess (19 September 2005). "Boy done good". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11
February 2010.

"Obituary: Fashion king Alexander McQueen". BBC News. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 11 February
2010.

Bremner, Charles; Robertson, David (12 February 2010). "Alexander McQueen Obituary". The Times.
London. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

Frankel, Susannah (2011). Andrew Bolton, ed. Alexander McQueen, savage beauty [Introduction] (3rd
print. ed.). New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 17–27. ISBN 9781588394125. Retrieved 12 July
2013.

Tran, Mark (11 February 2010). "Fashion designer Alexander McQueen dies". The Guardian. London.
Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.

"Our History | Rosetta Art Centre". www.rosettaarts.org. Archived from the original on 24 September
2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

Vaidyanathan, Rajini (12 February 2010). "Six ways Alexander McQueen changed fashion". BBC News.
Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.

Frankel, Susannah (24 September 2011). "Louise Wilson: 'As much as I might decry the students, as
much as they're a nightmare, it is a privilege to be among youth'". The Independent. Retrieved 22
January 2013.

Cooper, Michelle. "Who's Who: Bobby Hillson". Vogue.co.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2013.

Blow, Detmar (2010). Blow by Blow. NY: It Books. pp. 58–60. ISBN 978-0-06-202100-7.

Rickey, Melanie (28 February 1997). "England's glory". The Independent. London. Retrieved 24
December 2011.

Bronte, Fabiana. "Losing 'Lee' – A Fashion Legend Bows Out". SteamPunk Magazine. Retrieved 24
December 2011.

"Björk:about:Homogenic:About the album cover". Chicago Sun-Times. 15 May 1998. Archived from the
original on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

"aLARM cALL". Unit.bjork.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Retrieved 24 December
2011.
Alien Rock. "The Light of Love: The Making of the Pagan Poetry Video Archived 9 May 2005 at the
Wayback Machine.". Bjork.com. 2002.

"Camilla Belle in Alexander McQueen, 2009", 100 Best Dresses of the Decade, InStyle Magazine, 2009.
Retrieved 12 February 2010.

Leonard, Tom (10 February 2005). "Ban for low trousers gains support". The Telegraph. London.
Retrieved 11 February 2010.

Bremner, Charles; Robertson, David (11 February 2010). "Profile: Alexander McQueen, the 'hooligan' of
English fashion". The Times. London. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 2010-11-06. Evans, Caroline,
"Fashion: Alexander McQueen", 032c issue 7 (Summer, 2004).

Bridget Foley (June 2008). "Hail McQueen". W magazine. Archived from the original on 20 November
2008. Retrieved 21 November 2008.

London Fashion Review – Alexander McQueen Profile Alexander McQueen Timeline Profile (June 2011)

PatternVault blog (11 July 2011) Alexander McQueen for Givenchy: Vogue Patterns, Part 1

Horyn, Cathy (10 May 2007). "The Woman No Hat Could Tame". The New York Times.

"DC's: Justin presents ... The Alexander McQueen Kit". Denniscooper-theweaklings.blogspot.com. 10

March 2010. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.

"McQueen Spring/Summer 2001 Show". SHOWstudio.com. 24 March 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2011.

"Fashion Shows: Fashion Week, Runway, Designer Collections". Vogue. Archived from the original on 14
July 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2015.

"About the Exhibition - Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York". metmuseum.org. Retrieved 17 June 2017.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Alexander MqQueen show 'Savage Beauty': Michelle Olley 'VOSS' diary
Archived 5 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine.

Barnett, Leisa (11 February 2010). "Alexander McQueen dies". Handbag.com. Archived from the original
on 16 February 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

"Alexander McQueen unveils his collection for Puma". RTÉ Fashion. 21 January 2009. Archived from the
original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

"Alexander McQueen Found Dead". People. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved
11 February 2010.

Lady Gaga dances in Alexander McQueen's 10-inch Stilettos Huffington Post, 11 November 2009
"Alexander McQueen Biography". Glbtq.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2010.
Retrieved 11 February 2010.

Vogue Magazine, August 2002

Naughton, Philippe (11 February 2010). "British fashion designer Alexander McQueen found dead at
home". The Times. London. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

Payne, Will (14 February 2010). "The crazy world of Alexander McQueen, by his ex-husband". Daily
Mirror. Archived from the original on 19 February 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2010.

Alexander, Hilary (6 October 2009). "Paris Fashion Week: Alexander McQueen". The Telegraph. London.
Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

Kates, Brian (17 February 2010). "Alexander McQueen hanged self in wardrobe, left suicide note". Daily
News. New York. Archived from the original on 20 February 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2010.

"Alexander McQueen's mate David LaChapelle tells of their friendship". Herald Sun. 21 October 2010.
Retrieved 24 December 2011.

"Alexander McQueen Dead: Fashion Designer Commits Suicide". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 25
March 2016.

"Alexander McQueen committed suicide after taking drugs". BBC News. 28 April 2010.

"Designer Alexander McQueen dies". BBC. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 25 March 2016.

"Designer Alexander McQueen 'hanged himself'". BBC News. 17 February 2010. Archived from the
original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2010.

Barnett, Leisa (28 April 2010). "Alexander McQueen's psychiatrist admits that he felt "very pressured"
as the inquest into his death concludes". Handbag. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010.
Retrieved 28 April 2010.

"Alexander McQueen committed suicide after taking drugs". BBC News. 28 April 2010. Archived from
the original on 1 May 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2010.

Milligan, Lauren (28 April 2010). "McQueen Inquest Verdict". British Vogue. Archived from the original
on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.

"Designer Alexander McQueen Dies". BBC News. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 27
February 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

"Designer Alexander McQueen Dies". BBC News. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 27
February 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
Moore, Booth (12 February 2010). "Alexander McQueen dies at 40; iconoclastic fashion designer". Los
Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.

"Alexander McQueen funeral: fashion world bids farewell to designer". The Daily Telegraph. London. 25
February 2010. Archived from the original on 28 February 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2010.

"Alexander McQueen's ashes to be scattered on Isle of Skye". Evening Standard. London. 22 March
2010. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 24 December 2011.

"How Alexander McQueen's Skye ancestry shaped his fashion legacy". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved
2017-06-25.

Attewill, Fred (20 September 2010). "Fashion stars pack St. Paul's for Alexander McQueen memorial
service". Metro UK. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011.

"Memorial service at St. Paul's for Alexander McQueen". The Daily Telegraph. London. 31 August 2010.
Archived from the original on 5 November 2010.

Socha, Miles (18 February 2010). "McQueen Business to Continue Despite Founder's Suicide". Women's
Wear Daily. Retrieved 18 February 2010.

"Mcqueen's Charity". BBC News. 26 July 2011.

"Information Not Found". Billboard. Retrieved 24 December 2011.

"Lady Gaga confirms Alexander McQueen tribute". News hub. 6 October 2016.

Michaels, Sean (12 February 2010). "Pop stars pay tribute to Alexander McQueen". The Guardian.
London. Retrieved 28 July 2010.

"Deep Sea Devotion: Alexander McQueen's 'Manta' Designs". The Daily Telegraph. London. 15 March
2010. Archived from the original on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.

Sherwood Pundyk, Anne (Jul–Aug 2011). "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty". The Brooklyn Rail.

"McQueen Show Beats Jeff Koons's Record at the Met, Right at the Buzzer". ArtInfo (In the Air blog).
Louise Blouin Media. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.

"Petition For Alexander McQueen Exhibit To Tour Gains Momentum". Global Fashion Wire. 25 August
2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.

"Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Is Most Popular Show in V&A's History". The Guardian. London.
Press Association. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2016.

"New faces on Sgt Pepper album cover for artist Peter Blake's 80th birthday". The Guardian. 5 October
2016.

"Alexandra McQueen". Wowhead. Retrieved 27 October 2015.

"Alexander McQueen play to open in London". The Guardian. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February
2015.

Sarah Deeks (27 May 2010). "Burton For McQueen". Vogue. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011.
Retrieved 29 April 2011.

"Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2011 collection". Vogue. Archived from the original on 2 January
2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.

"Jack O'Connell to star in Alexander McQueen biopic". BBC. Retrieved 6 October 2016

Further reading

Biographies

Bolton, Andrew (2010), Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, Metropolitan Museum of Art, ISBN 978-
0300169782

Knox, Kristin (2010), Alexander Mcqueen: Genius of a Generation, A & C Black Publishers Ltd, ISBN 978-
1408130766

Deniau, Anne (2012), Love Looks Not with the Eyes: Thirteen Years with Lee Alexander McQueen, Harry
N. Abrams, ISBN 978-1419704482

Frankel, Susannah; and Waplington, Nick (2013), Alexander McQueen: Working Process, Damiani, ISBN
978-8862082952

Watt, Judith (2013), Alexander McQueen. Harper Design (27 August 2013), ISBN 978-0062284556, 256
pages.

Thomas, Dana (2015), Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano,
Penguin Press, ISBN 9781594204944

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alexander McQueen.

Alexander McQueen's home page

Alexander McQueen – Daily Telegraph obituary

In pictures:Alexander McQueen exhibition – The BBC – Entertainment and Arts

Metropolitan Museum of Art retrospective

[1]

Alexander McQueen at Find a Grave

[hide] v t e

Members of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture

Members

Adeline André Anne Valérie Hash Carlota Alfaro Chanel Christian Dior Dominique Sirop Franck Sorbier
Givenchy Jean Paul Gaultier Maurizio Galante Stéphane Rolland Yiqing Yin

Invited, foreign and guest members

See: List of grands couturiers

Authority control

WorldCat Identities VIAF: 91218186 LCCN: no2007055234 ISNI: 0000 0000 8276 651X GND: 128568429
SELIBR: 383269 SUDOC: 151019983 BNF: cb16574674g (data) ULAN: 500294231 MusicBrainz: 4539bfdf-
6ec3-40b6-8ee5-4cb1d07aa575 NDL: 001131553 NKC: xx0099198 RKD: 223349 SNAC: w6vr0kc4

Categories: 1969 births2010 deathsAlumni of Central Saint MartinsEnglish fashion designersEnglish

people of Scottish descentCommanders of the Order of the British EmpireLGBT fashion designersLGBT
people from EnglandMale suicidesPeople from Stratford, LondonPPR (company) peopleSuicides by
hanging in EnglandDesigners who committed suicideGay artistsLGBT and suicide

Navigation menu

Not logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView historySearch

Search Wikipedia

Main page

Contents

Featured content

Current events

Random article

Donate to Wikipedia

Wikipedia store

Interaction

Help
About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page

Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book

Download as PDF

Printable version

In other projects

Wikimedia Commons

Wikiquote

Languages

Български

Deutsch

Ελληνικά
Español

Français

Magyar

Polski

Română

Türkçe

29 more

Edit links

This page was last edited on 14 March 2018, at 19:54.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Privacy policyAbout WikipediaDisclaimersContact WikipediaDevelopersCookie statementMobile

viewEnable previews