London Fashion Week recently showcased the industry’s most iconic brands, including the debut of Alexander McQueen’s sister line, McQ. As great as it was, it ultimately reminded us, yet again, that one of the best designers of all time is no longer here.
Lee Alexander McQueen was the heart and soul of UK fashion. His signature dark theatrical designs were risque and often challenged other modern designers’ aesthetics so much that it was almost anarchic. His collections were some of the most controversial, yet highly coveted, looks.
At 16, the designer dropped out of school for a tailoring apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Shepherd. The small tailoring company provided the young McQueen with the knowledge and skills to construct clothes. During his time there, he became known for his antics, such as scribbling graffiti into the linings of multiple suits for the King-to-be of England, Prince Charles. The acts dubbed him the rebel of Savile Row.
After that, at the age of 20, McQueen was hired by fellow Savile Row-trained tailor, Koji Tatsuno. A year later, he was Milan-bound for the position as Romeo Gigli’s design assistant. Even though he was getting a lot of hands-on experience that most rookie designers would sell their arms for, when he moved back to London, McQueen eventually enrolled in Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design’s Masters Program in Fashion Design.
His claim to fame was his graduation collection being bought by the late Isabella Blow, an eccentric designer. In 1994, he started the Alexander McQueen label and, as they say, the rest was fashion history. One of the early highlights of his newly formed brand was the 1995 collection titled “Highland Rape.” Many thought this title suggested McQueen was a misogynist, when in reality it was symbolic of England’s “rape” on his home country, Scotland.
A couple of years later, he landed a gig replacing John Galliano as head designer director for Givenchy. The five-year tenure consisted of him dismissing the label’s founder Hubert de Givenchy as irrelevant, bombing the first collection and using double amputee model Aimee Mullins for a show.
He eventually garnered the name L’Enfant Terrible, the terrible child, for fashion, and he indeed was. McQueen just couldn’t shake off the rebellious streak from his Savile days.
As the years went on, the theatrical designer began to be seen as less terrible and more of a genius in the public eye. His friends and clients included the Icelandic singer Björk and Lady Gaga, whose “Bad Romance” single played during his spring 2010 collection, along with many others.
Two years ago, the designer took his own life and was pronounced dead on Feb. 11, 2010, one week after his mother, who was his best friend, passed away. Later that day in New York, the McQ collection was supposed to show, but it was canceled. When looking back at the last collection before his death, the eerie, death-like motifs found in the designs become more apparent.
Since then, his assistant, Sarah Burton, has taken over as head creative director and has done the brand justice with design stints like designing Kate Middleton’s wedding dress for the royal wedding.
Her spot was sealed last year in Paris for the ready-to-wear spring collection that featured a mystical, aquatic collection that showed aspects of McQueen’s aesthetic style including the lace masks, the impeccable tailoring and the drama.
The styles of the assistant and the late designer were so similar that it was as if McQueen hadn’t died. Editor-in-chief of French Vogue, Emmanuelle Alt, bowed to Burton, literally.
This past Feb. 11 marked the second anniversary of the designer’s death and a month of fall’s ready-to-wear 2012 collections in New York, London, Milan and Paris, respectively.
London Fashion Week was Feb. 17 to 22, which was six days of some of fashion’s greatest names presenting their highly anticipated collections. The most anticipated was the 8 p.m. show (3 p.m. in the US): McQ’s first catwalk presentation.
Not only was it the brand’s first catwalk, but it was a collection that was supposed to premier two years ago. The event was highly anticipated and was special since fans had the opportunity to stream the show live on Facebook.
This was fashion history and it allowed all fans to witness the majestic event. Twitter was bombarded by fashion figures and fans alike who were all excited to see what Sarah Burton had come up with.
The McQ 2012 ready-to-wear collection was true to McQueen. The brand is aimed toward a younger audience and features both menswear and women’s clothing. Burton kept classic pieces such as military trench coats, well-tailored leather ensembles and Scottish plaid dresses with mesh on top and plenty of drama.
In addition, the new designs featured leaf motifs emblazoned onto to the velvet dresses and coats and multi-colored flowers subdued by dark tulle. The men’s ensembles were sharp and clean with long trench coats thrown over.
The show had a dark eerie ambiance, and the theatrics were there as shown by the leaves that blanketed the runway floor and the trees that surrounded it. The ambience was felt at the event and was even detectable through Facebook’s streaming.
The ending was majestic, as model Kristen McMenamy walked out in a beautiful, long white tulle gown. When she turned, she grabbed a rope that lead back into an illuminated runway back that featured a cabin.
Just when you think that the show is over, a light flickers on the cabin revealing writing that says “Core Cabin” and catchy dance music that puts dubstep to shame comes on, something that McQueen himself would have done.
It seems like the fashion world was put at ease for the future of McQ, as its debut set a precedence for more upcoming collections that will be just as great. More importantly, it made sure to hold onto what McQueen himself believed in. We still get to keep pieces of the designer as he becomes immortalized through the brand’s designs.
Long live McQueen.
