His designs were often far-fetched but Alexander McQueen pushed boundaries and his contribution to 21st-century fashion will not be forgotten, writes DEIRDRE MCQUILLAN
HIS WAS the most sought after invitation at Paris fashion week, the one you wanted the most, the shows you could never forget. They may have been extravagant, far fetched, controversial, but they always pushed the boundaries, both aesthetic and technical.
His most recent in October was streamed live on the internet making fashion history. Its extraordinary sea world “infinity” prints and “armadillo” shoes in which models struggled to walk were later memorably worn by Daphne Guinness. There was always that mesmerising mix of showmanship and craftsmanship.
One of his most celebrated collections in March 2006 was inspired by his ancestral Scottish roots. He was in buoyant form playing with plaids and flirting with tartan yet keeping the modern hourglass silhouette in check.
Titian-haired models in cable knits and glen checks stalked the catwalk in mad antler headdresses, but the handsome riding coats were right on target. In a year when there was so much controversy surrounding his close friend Kate Moss, he closed the show with a ghostly projection of the model in billowing chiffon like a will o the wisp.
Another year he dedicated his collection “La Dame Bleu” to the stylist Isabella Blow, long his champion, after her death from suicide. The whole venue had been sprayed with Fracas, her favourite fragrance and the theme of the show was extreme glamour. Its mix of feral feathered dresses, reptilian prints and black PVC bodysuits seemed to capture fashion’s darker spirit.
There was always a macabre, disconcerting side to his work. Another collection took its focus from the Salem witch trials through some family link to one of the women hanged there. Again the hard angularity and dark romance of the clothes – flared black coats, dresses blazing with copper beads – was unforgettable.
He was often called a misogynist for the demands he made on models – it isn’t pleasant to see slender creatures struggling to keep their balance, but his mischief was artful and if he mocked fashion, he was making a statement.
“The Horn of Plenty” collection upended iconic pieces from his own collections and those of 21st-century haute couture and his refashioning of Dior’s famous houndstooth suits with matching umbrella hats was true burlesque.
Not many designers force the far edges of their creativity as hard as he did, but so much energy and emotion went into these shows that it will be a long time before McQueen and his singular contribution to 21st-century fashion is forgotten.
Patricia Keilthy, Head of Fashion LSAD
“He combined a fine-art heart with a fashion output. I have had conversations with people in fine art not normally interested in fashion designers who have been stunned by the way he has tackled concepts and issues about women and how women are perceived and then produced these magnificent theatrical spectacles. I think from his own harsh background he was sensitive to the hardship of the lives that women had endured and you can see how a conceptual artist grew out of that experience .”
Godfrey Deeny
European editor of Fashionwiredaily.com and men’s fashion critic for the Financial Times
“Reviews of Lee McQueen shows were always the most read on our site. I probably met him 10 or 15 times, and interviewed him three times. The last time was when I had dinner with him three weeks ago in the Four Seasons in Milan. At that dinner his eyes were crystal clear. He talked about how he loved to ski, about Val d’Isere. He was also talking about his new house . . .
“Whenever I interviewed him, I ended up talking a lot more than him. He didn’t talk that much, but when he’d get on a thing, he’d talk away . . . He swore and cursed a lot, but was very finely mannered at table and that. I liked him. He always told you stuff you didn’t expect – some wacky idea you’d never have thought of before.
“One of five people at dinner that night in Milan was Kerry Youmans, Lee’s PR in New York, and a great friend. I’ve since learned that Lee sent Kerry a hand written letter on Monday thanking him for his friendship and loyalty, so he clearly had made up his mind, without giving any hint to any of us of what was to come.
“It’s a real shame that he’s gone. It was going to be his birthday on March 17th.”
Maire O'Riordan
Editor in Chief of John Brown Media, former editor of Marie Claireand Elle
“I met Lee Mc Queen only once in 1998 when I was editor of Elle and he came to our Style Awards to receive the designer of the year award. He shook my hand, thanked me politely for the recognition the magazine was giving him and appeared incredibly humble and shy, indeed even a bit awkward.
“There was no swagger or arrogance about McQueen. He made no fuss . . . I definitely got the impression celebrity status was not something he desired.
“I passed the Alexander McQueen store in Bond Street on Thursday night. A [card in the window] simply said the staff was in mourning for the loss of their designer and asked that the public respect the privacy of the family and friends at this time. Two elegant bouquets of roses had been laid outside the shop. It was a desolate scene and seemed to reflect the loneliness of his death.”
Robert O'Byrne
Former fashion editor of The Irish Times
“In the mid-1990s, no designer inspired more excitement during successive London Fashion Weeks than Alexander McQueen. Much of the attention he garnered arose from his evident talent, but [his presentation] also intentionally sought and won publicity.
“The risk with high-octane shows is that what ought to be the focus of attention – the clothes – can become submerged in their presentation. Sometimes this happened with a McQueen collection.
“This, it struck me at the time, was to the disadvantage of his work, since it was obliged to take second place to his showmanship. In retrospect, I can appreciate that had he been merely an impresario he would never have survived more than a handful of seasons. His innate fashion skills, not least as a consummate tailor, were ultimately more important than his theatrical flair.“
Philip Treacy , Milliner
“He was the most genuinely talented designer I have ever worked for, he was the real deal with a talent that came from nowhere and went everywhere . He was the exception. Talented people are extra and he was extra . .
“Every idiot these days is called a designer and mediocrity is all over the place and many so-called talents are just ordinary with a capital O.
“I come from the old school and he was the ultimate, he was exceptional. He was also a very kind and loving friend to me.”
ANGELA WOODS, Head of design, NCAD
“Like Galliano, he was a total inspiration to students . . . he really looked after the interns and the prestige of being an intern with McQueen opened doors for students. He was a cheeky lad who pushed boundaries and we are always encouraging students to push boundaries and . . . the way he styled his fashion shows was so inspirational.”
SHARON WAUCHOB, Irish designer based in Paris
“I studied at St Martins when he was there and remember him as creative and hard working, a serious designer. I thought with his last two shows that he was coming into a new creative period, but he was cut off in his prime. It’s many years since a designer was cut off at such a stage in their career and he will be a real loss for Paris fashion week.”
NICOLA MALCOMSON, Fashion student NCAD
“I worked with McQueen last year and he was the spark that lit the fire, the driving force in the company – he gave it that edge to do something different. I remember meeting him for the first time in the lift and he had painted his toenails pink! He was serious about getting work done, but there was a different side to him when he was relaxed . . .”
SHELLY CORKERY, Fashion director, BT
“We have been buying McQueen for 12 years – he was one of our top designers . . . with a huge following in Ireland. We did our buying last week in Paris (for winter) from his last collection . . . They will be collectors’ items now. We sold 15 skeleton scarves and clutch bags yesterday – people kept ringing and asking for pieces.”
BRENDAN COURTNEY, Co-presenter, Off The Rails
“He was very gifted, a great pattern cutter and a great tailor. He wasn’t even halfway through what his career could have been. But he was also insecure: he would be shy then boisterous. He had been hugely successful very young, and was tricky to be around. He had his own demons . . . It’s very sad; he was a tortured soul.
