Alexander McQueen

Lee McQueen was the most amazing designer who left the legacy that is Alexander McQueen currently designed by Sarah Burton.

Fashion Designers

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Lee Alexander McQueen (17 March 1969 ~ 11 February 2010)

Lee Alexander McQueen left a legacy that will be known for decades to come. He was terrifyingly fascinating in his designs and runway shows and kept the fashion industry and the world on the edge of their seats and wanting more.

His skill and talent for cutting and tailoring was like none other the world has ever seen. His designs were so intricate that they almost felt like make believe. Whether he was taking us to the bottom of the ocean or into a Shutter Island like place, this fashion ‘pied piper’ had a following that is stronger now today than during his 19-year career.

The shocking death of the beloved Alexander McQueen was a day the world will always remember. It was the day an era in design ended.

1969: Lee Alexander McQueen is born on March 17th in London. He was the youngest of six siblings.
1985: At 16 years old McQueen left school at Rokeby School and took an internship with Anderson & Sheppard, Savile Row Tailors.

FUN FACT: After his internship with Anderson & Sheppard, Lee McQueen joined Gieves & Hawkes and then Angels & Bermans. It is said that McQueen’s’ skill and ability to tailor flawlessly comes from his early years as an apprentice at Anderson & Sheppard.

1987: The young McQueen comes out to his family at age 18. He was known throughout his career as openly gay.
1989: At 20 years old, McQueen worked for and continued to improve his skills for tailoring working with fashion designer Koji Tatsuno.
1990: McQueen headed to Milan and worked for Romeo Gigli as his design assistant.
1992: McQueen returned to London and attended Central Saint Martins and obtained his Master is Design. This year the designer graduated and the Iconic stylist, Isabella Blow, purchased his graduation collection at Central Saint Martins.

FUN FACT: McQueen originally enrolled at Central Saint Martins as a Pattern Cutter Tutor. The Head Master of the school is the one who encouraged him to become a student at the institution.
The relationship between Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen was a high profile one and very well known. Blow was the one who persuaded McQueen to go by his middle name when it came to his designing career.

1996: McQueen is appointed the Creative Director of Givenchy. This year also marked the first time McQueen was awarded British Designer of the year.
1997: For a second year in a row, McQueen was named British Designer of the Year. Singer, Bjork, wore Alexander McQueen on her album cover, Homogenic.

FUN FACT: McQueen tried his hand at directing for a music video for Bjork.

1998: The designer’s career at Givenchy had been tumultuous from the beginning, but McQueen ruffled some feathers when his collection for this year when an amputee model took to the catwalk with wooden carved legs.
2000: Alexander and his partner George Forsyth unofficially tied the note, but only a year later the couple split. They stayed close friends.
2001: McQueen was given the British Designer of the Year award. This marked the third time in the designer’s career that he was given this award. During his triumphant year, McQueen ended his time at the Haute Couture House, Givenchy.
2003: Alexander McQueen was again given the British Designer of the Year and was honored by the CFDA with the Designer of the Year. His spring collection of this year was elaborate in set and was a portrayal of a shipwreck. He was awarded the A Most Excellent Commander of The British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen.
2005: Alexander’s spring collection of this year was fashioned to be a human chess game.
2006: The Fall show titled ‘Widows of Culloden’ created waves in the season when a hologram of Kate Moss was the focal point of the show.

FUN FACT: One of McQueen’s earliest and probably one of his most famous is the ‘bumster’ jean. He also adopted the skull and pretty soon, the coveted McQueen scarves adorned with skulls were a must have.

2007: McQueen becomes one of the first designers to participate in a MAC Cosmetics campaign. His inspiration for the campaign was Elizabeth Taylor in the iconic movie, Cleopatra. In May of this year, close friend Isabella Blow took her life. The death of Blow was rumored to be a very tough time in McQueen’s life.
McQueen was awarded the Menswear Designer of the Year by GQ.

FUN FACT: The expansion and growth of the McQueen Company had grown at huge rates and had stores in London, Milan, New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

2010: On February 11 it was announced that Lee Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London apartment. The coroner’s report determined that the designer had traces of cocaine and other pharmaceutical drugs. He had hung himself. His death occurred 9 days after the death of his mother who had battled and lost to cancer.
2011: Alexander McQueen ‘Savage Beauty’, a retrospective of the 19-year career of McQueen is currently at the MET in New York City.