My task was to blog about Fashion week but I was floored yesterday when I found out Alexander McQueen was found dead in his home in London yesterday, the first day of Fashion Week.
Alexander McQueen was born in Lewisham, London, March 16, 1969. McQueen knew at an early age that designing was what he wanted to do, he started off by making dresses for his sisters. McQueen graduated at London’s prestigious school for fashion, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design with his Masters in Fashion Design and his whole graduation collection was was bought by Isabella Blow, another great designer who is supposedly the one who convince McQueen to Change his first name from Lee to Alexander.
McQueen’s earlier collections where very daring and radical earning him the title as “The hooligan of English Fashion “ and L’enfant terrible.“ In 1996, McQueen became head designer for Givenchy and produced his first couture line in ‘97, which he later said was crap in a Vogue interview. 2001 McQueen’s contract with Givenchy ended and he successfully founded his own label. McQueen’s audacious pieces earned him The British Designer of the year 4 times. He was also awarded the CBE and named The International Designer of the year at The Council of Fashion Designer Awards.
By 2007 McQueen had boutiques in London, Las Vegas, New York, Milan and Los Angeles, sealing his own designs, perfumes and accessories. McQueen’s designs was influenced by many things such as his scuba diving, in October of 2009 his fashion show, “Plato’s Atlantis,” had an under water theme that was influenced by the things he saw while scuba diving.
On February 3rd McQueen lost his mother. He tweeted that week about how upset he was about loosing his mother, and although he said he was getting better, relatives say that he took the death the hardest.
Yesterday, February 11th, one of his cleaners found McQueen hung in his home, but it isn’t confirmed that his death was suicidal. It is said that he died a few days before he was found. Today was his mothers funeral.
McQueen is survived by his Father, his three sisters, Janet and Jacqui McQueen, and Tracy Chapman, and his brothers Tony and Michael McQueen.
A post-morterm is scheduled on February 15th and a Coroner’s inquest later that week.
McQueen’s pieces have been seen on celebrities like Rihanna, Nichole Kidman, B Jork and his biggest fan, Lady Gaga.
McQueen’s Pre Spring/Summer line is full of vibrant colors and great pieces and I’ve been told that his Fall/Winter line is even better.
!!Long Live McQueen!!
