Alexander McQueen
British fashion designer known for controversial, theatrical designs.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Lee Alexander McQueen, born 17 March 1969 in Lewisham, London, was a British fashion designer and couturier who established his own label in 1992. He served as chief designer at Givenchy between 1996 and 2001. Over his career, he received four British Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001, 2003) and the CFDA International Designer of the Year award in 2003.
McQueen grew up in Stratford, the youngest of six children. His father drove a taxi, and his mother taught social science. From age three, he was drawing dresses on walls; he later made clothes for his sisters. He also joined the Young Ornithologists' Club, and birds later appeared as motifs in his work.
He left school at 16 with a single O-level in art. After a tailoring course at Newham College, he apprenticed for two years with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, then worked briefly as a pattern cutter at Gieves & Hawkes. He later claimed to have sewn obscenities into linings of suits for Prince Charles, though no evidence was found. He then made costumes for theatrical productions like *Les Misérables*.
In 1989, McQueen worked for designer Koji Tatsuno, then for Red or Dead under John McKitterick, where he encountered fetishwear. McKitterick recommended an Italian apprenticeship. McQueen went to Milan in spring 1990, securing a position with Romeo Gigli based on his portfolio and tailoring experience. He left Gigli in July 1990 and returned to London.
McQueen sought a pattern-cutting teaching job at Central Saint Martins but was instead accepted into the 18-month master's fashion design course, despite lacking formal qualifications. He borrowed £4,000 from an aunt to pay tuition. He began in October 1990, meeting future collaborators Simon Ungless and Fleet Bigwood. His March 1992 graduation collection, *Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims*, was bought entirely by magazine editor Isabella Blow, who became his patron and promoter.
His early designs, notably the low-cut "bumster" trousers, earned him a reputation as an *enfant terrible*. In 2000, he sold 51% of his company to the Gucci Group, which opened boutiques worldwide and expanded the product line. He created 36 collections for his brand, including his graduation collection and an unfinished final one. After his death, longtime collaborator Sarah Burton became creative director.
McQueen was known for sharp tailoring, historicism,
- born
- 17 March 1969, Lewisham, London
- died
- 11 February 2010
- field
- Fashion design, couture
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Bumster trousers, skull scarf, armadillo shoes, theatrical catwalk shows
Lore & Background
Lee Alexander McQueen was born on 17 March 1969 at University Hospital Lewisham in Lewisham, London, to Ronald and Joyce McQueen, the youngest of six children. His father worked as a taxi driver, and his mother was a social science teacher. He grew up in a terraced house in Stratford. He left school at age 16 with one O-level in art and took a tailoring course at Newham College, then served a two-year apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard. He later worked for theatrical costumiers, for designer Koji Tatsuno, and for label Red or Dead. In spring 1990 he worked briefly for Romeo Gigli in Milan. He then studied fashion at Central Saint Martins, borrowing £4,000 from his aunt to cover tuition. His MA graduation collection, Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims, was bought by editor Isabella Blow, who became his patron.
McQueen launched his own label in 1992 under the name Alexander. His early shows, such as Nihilism (Spring/Summer 1994) and Banshee (Autumn/Winter 1994), relied on controversy and shock tactics. He introduced the bumster trouser in Taxi Driver (Autumn/Winter 1993). He met Katy England, who became his creative director for The Birds (Spring/Summer 1995). In 2000, he sold 51% of his company to the Gucci Group. He designed 36 collections for his brand, including his graduation collection and an unfinished final collection. Following his death, Sarah Burton took over as creative director.
Reader's Guide
McQueen's legacy in fashion and culture is extensive. His designs were showcased in two retrospective exhibitions: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (2011 and 2015) and Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse (2022). He remains the subject of journalistic and academic analysis, including the book Gods and Kings (2015) by Dana Thomas and the documentary film McQueen (2018). His catwalk shows were noted for their drama and theatricality, often ending with performance art, such as a model being spray painted by robots (No. 13, Spring/Summer 1999) or a life-size illusion of Kate Moss (The Widows of Culloden, Autumn/Winter 2006). He explored themes such as romanticism, sexuality, and death, and many collections had autobiographical elements. His early designs, particularly the bumster trousers, gained him recognition as an enfant terrible in British fashion. He is generally credited with sparking a global trend for low-rise pants via the controversial bumsters.
Did You Know?
- McQueen sewed locks of his own hair in perspex onto clothes as his label in his early career.
- He borrowed £4,000 from his aunt Renee to cover tuition at Central Saint Martins.
- His MA graduation collection, Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims, was bought in its entirety by Isabella Blow.
- McQueen's earliest fashion memory was drawing a dress on the wall of his East London family home at age three.
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