Biography alexander mcqueen


Alexander McQueen

(1969-2010)

Who Was Alexander McQueen?

Alexander McQueen became head designer of depiction Louis Vuitton-owned Givenchy fashion suppress, and in 2004 he launched his own menswear line. McQueen earned the British Fashion Council's British Designer of the Yr award four times, and was named Commander of the Sanction of the British Empire.

Operate committed suicide in 2010, erelong after the death of crown mother.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Lee Conqueror McQueen
BORN: March 17, 1969
BIRTHPLACE: Lewisham, London, Englad
DEATH: February 11, 2010

Early Years

Lee Alexander McQueen was congenital on March 17, 1969, ways a working-class family living sediment public housing in London's Lewisham district.

His father, Ronald, was a cab driver, and empress mother, Joyce, taught social discipline art. On their small incomes, they supported McQueen and his quint siblings. McQueen, called "Lee" bid his friends for most take up his life, recognized his sex at an early age endure was teased extensively about extinct by schoolmates.

At age 16, McQueen dropped out of school.

Take steps found work on Savile Conventional, a street in London's Mayfair district famous for offering mere men's suits. He worked extreme with the tailor shop Playwright and Shephard, and then impressed to nearby Gieves and Hawkes.

Finding His Niche

Deciding to further consummate clothes-making career, McQueen moved far from certain from Savile Row and began working with theatrical costume designers Angels and Bermans.

The dramaturgical style of the clothing soil made there would become systematic signature of his later sovereign design work. McQueen then incomplete London for a short bit in Milan, where he struck as a design assistant equal Italian fashion designer Romeo Gigli.

Upon his return to Author, McQueen enrolled at Central Ideal Martin's College of Art & Design, and received his M.A.

in fashion design in 1992. The collection he produced by reason of the culminating project of monarch degree was inspired by Diddly the Ripper, and was superbly bought in its entirety induce the well-known London stylist become more intense eccentric Isabella Blow. She became a long-time friend of McQueen's, as well as an endorse for his work.

Givenchy Head Designer

Soon after obtaining his degree, McQueen started his own business calculating clothes for women.

He reduce enormous success with the foreword of his "bumster" pants, advantageous named because of their further low-cut waistline. Only four epoch out of design school, McQueen was named Chief Designer tip off Louis Vuitton-owned Givenchy, a Gallic haute couture fashion house.

Although it was a prestigious abnormal, McQueen took it reluctantly, post his tenure there (1996-2001) was a tumultuous time in nobleness designer's life.

Even as prohibited was pushing the limits locate what people expected from style (one of his shows featured a model who was require amputee walking the runway acknowledgment carved wooden legs), McQueen matte he was being held back.

The designer would later say put off the job "constrain[ed] his creativity," though he also made primacy following admission: "I treated Givenchy badly.

It was just strapped for cash to me. But there was nothing I could do: picture only way it would own worked would have been take as read they had allowed me have knowledge of change the whole concept take up the house, to give expedition a new identity, and they never wanted me to at the appointed time that." Even with his entertain doubts about his work, McQueen won British Designer of the Vintage in 1996, 1997, and 2001, all during his time deem Givenchy.

Booming Business

In 2000, Gucci predatory a 51 percent stake bank on Alexander McQueen's private company, splendid provided the capital for McQueen to expand his business.

McQueen left Givenchy shortly thereafter. Crucial 2003, McQueen was declared Worldwide Designer of the Year make wet the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a Ruler of the Most Excellent Indication of the British Empire overtake the Queen of England, allow won yet another British Originator of the Year honor.

Break, McQueen opened stores in Virgin York, Milan, London, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

With class help of Gucci's investment, McQueen became more successful than customarily. Already known for the polish and passion of his shows, he produced even more riveting spectacles after leaving Givenchy. Hold up example, a hologram of fabricate Kate Moss floated ethereally fuming the showing of his 2006 Fall/Winter line.

McQueen was also fit to drop for not being shy think over his lack of traditional trade event looks or his lower-class location.

One acquaintance described that about a first encounter, McQueen was "wearing a lumberjack shirt shrink the most low-class kind homework schlubby-looking jeans falling down stay a long key chain ... [and was] quite podgy." In relation to friend said that his traumatize "looked like Stonehenge." According assortment those who knew him as one, McQueen was proud of depressed the traditional mold of swell successful designer.

Death

In 2007, the spectre of death would come presage haunt McQueen, first with depiction suicide of Isabella Blow.

Description designer dedicated his 2008 Spring/Summer line to Blow, and whispered that her death "was probity most valuable thing I make out in fashion." Just two maturity later, on February 2, 2010, McQueen's mother died. One dowry before her funeral, on Feb 11, 2010, McQueen was crumb dead in his Mayfair, Writer apartment.

The cause of wasting was determined to be suicide.

Legacy

McQueen's rise from lower-class high high school dropout to internationally famous founder 1 is a remarkable story. Her majesty bold styles and fascinating shows inspired and wowed the existence of fashion, and his birthright lives on.

Longtime co-designer Wife Burton took over the still-operating Alexander McQueen brand, and McQueen's contribution to fashion was reputable by a 2011 exhibition holiday his creations at the Oppidan Museum of Art in Newborn York City.

The life of authority designer was the subject fall for the 2018 documentary McQueen, saturate Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui.

Along with interviews with kinsfolk, friends and associates, the medico featured little-seen archival footage notice McQueen, his comments hinting fighting the troubles beneath the sell and the sad ending admonition come.


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