“McQueen” was released in cinemas in 2018 and showed viewers the genius behind the person and brand of Alexander McQueen.
The 111-minute documentary is dedicated to the life of British designer Lee Alexander McQueen. Through many personal recordings, interviews, and assessments by friends and family members, a very precise picture of the personality and work of Lee, as he is known by his first name, was drawn.
But the very first frequencies, which contain a skull with blood running down, make it clear that the story will not end well.
As the fourth of six children of a cab driver and a housewife, Lee’s path was anything but natural. Born in 1969, the Brit was shaped early on by domestic violence and incidents of abuse.
To give structure to his work and career, the film was divided into five tapes named after collections from his brand:
First Tape: Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims
Thesis at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, 1992
McQueen’s 1992 college graduation collection, entitled “Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims“, which was bought out in its entirety by British Vogue stylist Isabella Blow, set the ball rolling. From then on, she was his muse, supporter, and friend.
He financed his first collection, which was inspired by books and films about Jack the Ripper, Perfume, etc., entirely from the unemployment benefit he received each month. Unconventional ideas sometimes led to clothes being produced for ten pounds. Sometimes there was so little money to hand that after the grand finale of Fashion Week in London, people went to McDonald’s because they couldn’t afford anything else.
Fearing that his unemployment benefits might be cut if the authorities saw his name in the press, he named his label simply Alexander McQueen, leaving out his official first name, Lee.
Second Tape: Highland Rape
Fall/Winter 1995
A very dark subject was also dealt with here. Due to his Scottish roots, McQueen dealt with the struggles of the Scots against the English and the ubiquitous rape of Scottish women at the time. Models with torn dresses, disheveled hairstyles, and almost permanently exposed breasts are the theme of this collection. Afterward, criticism rained down that Alexander McQueen portrayed women as victims and was misogynistic.
Editor’s Addition: Dante
Fall/Winter 1996
The designer’s eighth show was primarily inspired by the Florentine poet, writer, and philosopher Dante Alighieri from the 14th century. Additionally, prints of Don McCullin‘s photographs, taken during the Vietnam War (1955-1975), as well as crucifix masks inspired by Joel-Peter Witkin‘s photographs, were featured. The collection focused on themes of war and religion, continuing the dark and profound aesthetic of McQueen’s work.
The show took place at Christ Church in Spitalfields, East London, where British supermodel Kate Moss walked the runway for the brand for the first time. This is where the international fashion industry took notice of Lee Alexander McQueen, and later that same year, he was named “British Designer of the Year” at the British Fashion Awards.
These successes in 1996 highlight how important the Dante collection was in McQueen’s career and the impact it had on his rise to prominence.
Third Tape: It’s a Jungle Out There
Fall/Winter 1997
That year, he accepted a position at the French Maison Givenchy, part of the LVMH Group. However, his first collection was not a great success. Quite the opposite of his own brand’s show. It’s a Jungle Out There shows women who resemble animals and hyenas. The aggressive appearance of the models and the tense atmosphere made them look stronger than ever before. Almost like an army. This was probably McQueen’s answer to the accusation of misogyny.
In 2000, McQueen sold 51% of his brand to the Gucci Group, or today Kering, the LVMH Group’s biggest competitor. One year later, he left Givenchy.
Editor’s Addition: No. 13
Spring/Summer 1999
The show that took place at the Gatliff Warehouse made fashion history. At the end of the show, when most guests already thought it was over, the electronic music switched to “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saëns. Shalom Harlow, the Canadian supermodel, had arrived in London on a red-eye flight and couldn’t rehearse her appearance. Her ballet training was crucial to the magic of this moment.
She stepped onto the runway alone, wearing a strapless white tulle dress with a belt above the chest and another at the back, as you can see in the gallery and video. Shalom stood on a small, round platform between two robotic arms. As she stood on the platform, it began to rotate. At the same time, the robotic arms slowly started to move. First, they moved towards her and then began spraying black and yellow paint on her. Shalom Harlow moved her torso and arms, responding to the movements of the robots.
This dedication of the model stood in contrast to many shows that followed the typical fashion show formula. In this way, Alexander McQueen brought theatricality and drama to the runway, influencing the fashion industry from that moment to this day.
Fourth Tape: Voss
Spring/Summer 2001
The staging of this show probably reflected the designer’s state of mind like no other show at the time. Models walked around a mirrored cube so that they could be seen by the audience, but could not see the audience. White tiles, padded walls, and models with their heads tied off were reminiscent of a mental hospital. The models’ jaded look and the typical behavior of patients in this environment completed the picture. In the end, the cube in the middle of the catwalk falls apart, and you see a naked, chubby woman with a mask surrounded by moths.
Fifth Tape: Platons Atlantis
Spring/Summer 2010
His last great success was inspired by the idea of people going back to the sea. McQueen was passionate about the sea, felt very comfortable underwater, and also loved living by the sea. The models walked along a clean catwalk. Two constantly moving robots show McQueen’s relationship with progress.
Alexander McQueen’s soul continued to darken as a result of his increasing cocaine addiction, infection with HIV, and the death of his discoverer Issie. But when his mother, with whom he had a very close relationship, died, it pulled the rug out from under his feet.
One day before her funeral, the exceptional talent took his own life at the age of 40. May they both rest in peace.
Alexander McQueen stood out for his talent and his unique sense of aesthetics, which he acquired along the way, but which in the end also took the joy out of his life.
This documentary manages to convey a certain light at the beginning. The unconventional fashion and the naive appearance of the somewhat unkempt young Lee Alexander occasionally made us smile. As the movie progressed, the mood became increasingly gloomy…
The farewell of Sarah was very emotional and caused a huge wave of enthusiasm. Her last show was closed by supermodel Naomi Campbell, who also shed a few tears. Here are ten runway looks from Sarah Burton that will be remembered. Sarah Burton, then an intern, took over the creative direction of the house, with Kate Middleton’s wedding dress being the first major project where she was able to prove her talent. In 2023, she left the label to join Givenchy the same year, 27 years after Lee Alexander McQueen presented his first collection for the French label.
Seán McGirr has been the company’s new creative director since 2023.
The spirit of the founder was and is omnipresent. Unlike many brands such as Saint Laurent, Dior, or Chanel, the label still bears the founder’s first name in its logo.
What do you think of the unmistakable aesthetic of the Alexander McQueen brand?
I also wrote about the documentation on Textilwirtschaft.de back in 2018.