Alexander McQueen, l'héritage!

There has been a massive outpour of grief around the world over the death of Alexander McQueen at the young age of 40. Known for his fascinating, over-the-top work, his collection in 2009 shed tears of joy to the audience, leaving them in utter shock of the haunting beauty of both the clothing and the staging. According to Style.com, his last and final collection was given final honors by his trusted team in a hushed and dignified showing that went to his core as a designer who scaled the heights of couture accomplishment...

Fall 2010, Ready-To-Wear.

Ever since his work in the early 90's after earning his masters degree in Fashion Design, McQueen developed a highly respectable reputation in England, making various garments for the royal family, Mikhail Gorbachev, and other various clients from around the world. He took the title "The Hooligan of Fashion", meaning that his unconventional, extravagant runway shows always made a statement to the audience, leaving them in awe. In 1996, McQueen's life changed suddenly when the president of LVMH (A French Holding Company), Bernard Arnault appointed McQueen head designer at Givenchy, succeeding John Galliano. Later that year at Givenchy, McQueen fulfilled one of his life long dreams of winning British Designer of the Year award, being one of the youngest designers ever to win. He later won four times again from 1996-2003.

McQueen's stunning creations were worn by such celebrities as Rihanna, Bjork, and especially Lady Gaga who featured one of his ready-to-wear creations in her Bad Romance music video shown below.

Lady Gaga in McQueen Spring 2010 RTW.

In McQueen's Spring 2010 collection during Paris Fashion Week, titled 'Plato Atlantis', was given highly respectable reviews by various tabloids in North America. McQueen took his inspiration to a whole new level. This collection, which was taped live with over one million viewers world wide, featuring Lady Gaga's new hit song at the time, Bad Romance which played at the end of the show. Each garment in the collection portrayed digital printed short dresses, reptile patterned fabrics, and the models gangly legs sunk in deformed, grotesque shoes which gave a very futuristic, space-age sea creature look to the garments. According to style.com, the shoes looked like the armored heads of a fantastical breed of antediluvian sea monster...McQueen stated in a interview after the show saying that this show was to interpret the ecological crisis going on in the seas and oceans of the world (Global warming), "Humankind is made up of creatures that evolved from the sea, and we may be heading back to an underwater future as the ice cap dissolves". Each garment shown in this collection was to represent a sea animals which is endangered, e.g. dolphins, whales, and sharks. Each dress was a work of computer-generated art crossbred with McQueen's couture-based signature cut. One of my personal favorites by Alexander McQueen.

 

Elena Melnik in McQueen's Spring Ready-To-Wear 2010.

February 11th 2010 was a day that no one could forget. Due to the death of his mother, who he loved very much, Alexander McQueen took his own life weeks after at the age of 40 due to chronic depression and anxiety which he tried to cope with in the past. The loss of such an artist, a creator, a inventor of such spectacular creations, most people still cant even believe how a man so talented would take his own life. McQueen's inspirations came from only one place: his mind, no where else. He kept on giving his best in all of his collections. Celebrities, client's, and fans who adored his work, paid tribute to McQueen in March 2010 for all the hard work and dedication he put in for his shows, clients, and fans who he enjoyed serving for over 25 years. 

 RIP Alexander McQueen, may your legacy live on in the closets of many!