Alexander McQueen remembered: 6 of the most outrageous shows from fashion’s darkest genius, 10 years after his death
If Jean Paul Gaultier is the enfant terrible of France, McQueen was his British counterpart with designs that were equally beautiful, dark and thought-provoking
February 11 is the 10th anniversary of the tragic loss of British fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen.
McQueen was born in Lewisham, London in March 1969, the youngest of six children. He committed suicide in 2010 at his London home in Mayfair at the age of 40.
McQueen founded his namesake label in 1992 at the tender age of 22, and was appointed to lead Givenchy in 1996, after John Galliano’s departure for Christian Dior. McQueen returned to London to be fully devoted to his own label in 2001.
If Jean Paul Gaultier, who recently bade farewell to the runway is the enfant terrible of France, McQueen was his British counterpart.
Incredibly talented, visionary, McQueen was ahead of his time. His designs are equally beautiful and dark, outstanding yet thought-provoking. A great showman, he staged some of the most fantastical fashion shows beyond imagination.
Openly gay, he once said “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.”
Here are some of McQueen’s most memorable collections in a tribute to his short but remarkable career.
Spring/Summer 2010 show
The designer’s show in Paris was his final collection, and to many, the foremost. The presentation was live-streamed on photographer Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio, the first that a fashion show would be streamed online. However, 30 minutes before the show, Lady Gaga, tweeted that McQueen was about to premiere her hit music video Bad Romance and the website crashed under the enormous weight of all her followers.