British designer Alexander McQueen designed 36 womenswear collections under his eponymous fashion label during a career that lasted from 1992 until his death in 2010.[a] As a designer, McQueen was known for sharp tailoring, historicism, and imaginative designs that often verged into the controversial.[4] His runway shows were known for being dramatic and theatrical, with some including elements of performance art. McQueen drew inspiration for his clothing and shows from a broad range of sources, including film, history, nature, world religions, art, and his own life.[12] Through his work, he explored themes such as romanticism, sexuality, and death.[14]
He used unusual cuts and silhouettes to play with the human form, making wearers appear inhuman.[15] Early in his career, he originated an extreme low-rise trouser cut called the "bumster", which became a brand signature. Other significant designs include the skull scarf, another brand signature, and the armadillo shoe, often worn by singer Lady Gaga.[18]
Womenswear was the focus of McQueen's career. In his early collections, he sometimes presented menswear or had male models walk in the shows, but his label did not have a regular menswear line until 2004. From 1996 to October 2001, McQueen was – in addition to his responsibilities for his own label – head designer at French fashion house Givenchy, for which he produced both haute couture and ready-to-wear collections each season.[8][21] This article concerns itself with McQueen's own-label womenswear collections.
Collections
Notes
- ^ McQueen's first collection, Jack The Ripper Stalks His Victims, was produced as his graduation thesis for his Master's degree from Central Saint Martins rather than for commercial sale, and some authors do not count it when numbering McQueen's collections.
- ^ Some sources provide a date of July 1992 and list the venue as the Olympia London in Kensington. It is unclear where this originated from, but it appears to be erroneous, as London Fashion Week in 1992 was held in March, and Central Saint Martins holds its graduation shows at Fashion Week.[27][28]
- ^ Because of a slumping economy, few designers presented runway shows during London Fashion Week 1993. The British Fashion Council provided funding for six new designers, including McQueen, to exhibit their collections at The Ritz in lieu of runway shows.
References
- ^ Vaidyanathan, Rajini (12 February 2010). "Six ways Alexander McQueen changed fashion". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
- ^ Manning, Emily (21 January 2016). "An Alexander McQueen Biopic is in the Works". i-D. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Alexander McQueen – an introduction". Victoria and Albert Museum. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ "Nature and Organic Materials". The Museum of Savage Beauty. Victoria and Albert Museum. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ Gerakiti, Errika (16 November 2022). "The Majestic Art of Alexander McQueen". DailyArt Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ [7][8][9][11]
- ^ Hernandez Briseño, Alma (17 May 2020). "La Poupee and Voss: Alexander McQueen's Heterotopias". The Fashion Studies Journal. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Barajas, Joshua (4 September 2015). "How Alexander McQueen's grotesque creations wrecked the runway". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ Rasmussen, Tom (12 June 2018). "Alexander McQueen: an illustrated history of the iconic British fashion designer". Financial Review. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ D'Souza, Christa (4 March 2001). "McQueen and country". The Observer. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Morris, Bernadine (17 March 1992). "Review/Fashion; British Face Reality With Flair". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Davis, Johnny (7 February 2010). "The fashion stars of Central Saint Martins". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Mower, Sarah (9 March 2002). "Alexander McQueen Fall 2002 Ready-to-Wear Collection". Vogue. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ Yee, Hannah-Rose (19 May 2022). "A breathtaking Alexander McQueen exhibition is coming to the NGV this year". Vogue Australia. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Encyclopedia of Collections: The Girl Who Lived in the Tree". The Museum of Savage Beauty. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Milligan, Lauren (10 September 2013). "Beginning to end: The real McQueen". British Vogue. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
Bibliography
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clothing designed by Alexander McQueen.
- Bethune, Kate (2015). "Encyclopedia of Collections". In Wilcox, Claire (ed.). Alexander McQueen. New York City: Abrams Books. pp. 303–326. ISBN 978-1-4197-1723-9. OCLC 891618596.
- Bolton, Andrew (2011). Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. New York City: Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-1-58839-412-5. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- Bolton, Andrew (2018). "III. Fashioning Devotion". Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. Vol. II. New York City: Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-1-58839-645-7. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- Bowles, Hamish (2014). Vogue & the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute: Parties, Exhibitions, People (1st ed.). New York: Condé Nast. ISBN 978-1-4197-1424-5. OCLC 871511830.
- Callahan, Maureen (2014). Champagne Supernovas: Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, and the '90s Renegades Who Remade Fashion. New York City: Touchstone Books. ISBN 978-1-4516-4053-3.
- Deniau, Anne (2012). Love Looks Not with the Eyes: Thirteen Years with Lee Alexander McQueen. Abrams. ISBN 978-1-61312-415-4. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- Fairer, Robert; Wilcox, Claire (2016). Alexander McQueen: Unseen. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-22267-8. OCLC 946216643.
- Gleason, Katherine (2012). Alexander McQueen: Evolution. New York City: Race Point Publishing. ISBN 978-1-61058-837-9. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- Thomas, Dana (2015). Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. New York City: Penguin Publishing. ISBN 978-1-101-61795-3.
- Watt, Judith (2012). Alexander McQueen: The Life and the Legacy. New York City: Harper Design. ISBN 978-1-84796-085-6. OCLC 892706946.
- Wilson, Andrew (2015). Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin. New York City: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4767-7674-3.