Alexander McQueen
Versace
April 29, 2020
JW Anderson
April 30, 2020
Alexander McQueen was born in London in 1969 to a large working class family. He apprenticed on Savile Row, learning skills he would later use to create his impeccably tailored runway looks. After an apprenticeship at a theatrical costume company, he went on to pursue his MA in fashion at Central St. Martins College of Arts and Design. It was there that he met influential stylist Isabelle Blow, who was enamoured with McQueen, buying his entire graduate fashion collection and helping him to launch his fashion brand.
McQueen's early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics, earning him the title "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion." McQueen was notorious for bringing drama and extravagance to the catwalk, using technology and innovation to add a twist to his shows, often shocking and surprising audiences. His iconic and extravagant silhouettes added a sense of fantasy and rebellion to fashion.
McQueen took his own life in 2010 at the age of forty after struggling with drug use and depression, shocking and devastating the fashion world. A posthumous exhibition of his work, “Savage Beauty”, broke attendance records at the Metropolitan Museum of New York.
Current Creative Director: Sarah Burton
