To say that the fashion world suffered a huge loss yesterday would be a complete and utter understatement. The untimely death of Alexander (Lee) McQueen leaves a huge void, as the designer was said to be an industry genius. McQueen was found dead in his London flat yesterday, an apparent suicide (though full details of his death have not yet been released). McQueen lost his mother just last week, and reports have speculated that her passing may have been too much for the designer to bear. Notorious Vogue editor, Anna Wintour, responded to McQueen's death by stating, We are devastated to learn of the death of Alexander McQueen, one of the greatest talents of his generation. He brought a uniquely British sense of daring and aesthetic fearlessness to the global stage of fashion. In such a short career, Alexander McQueen’s influence was astonishing — from street style, to music culture and the world’s museums.
As a member of the masses, I feel wrong speculating on the "why," but I certainly maintain that the death of Alexander McQueen is terrible and tragic indeed. As I reflected last year, in my McQueen-themed Halloween post, Alexander McQueen was what some might consider a fashion prodigy. After dropping out of school at the age of sixteen to pursue a career in fashion, his degree collection from Central Saint Martins' Masters program was instantly snatched up by fashion icon/editor Isabella Blow (Blow later took her own life in 2007). Since then, the McQueen label has been renowned for its glamorous statement pieces and signature attitude of sophistication and darkness.
As a member of the masses, I feel wrong speculating on the "why," but I certainly maintain that the death of Alexander McQueen is terrible and tragic indeed. As I reflected last year, in my McQueen-themed Halloween post, Alexander McQueen was what some might consider a fashion prodigy. After dropping out of school at the age of sixteen to pursue a career in fashion, his degree collection from Central Saint Martins' Masters program was instantly snatched up by fashion icon/editor Isabella Blow (Blow later took her own life in 2007). Since then, the McQueen label has been renowned for its glamorous statement pieces and signature attitude of sophistication and darkness.
McQueen's sometimes controversial embodiment of high-fashion and macabre has always appealed to me on a personal level, possessing my own fascination for all things slightly melancholy. In the infinitely more poignant words of Anna Wintour, His passing marks an insurmountable loss. May he rest in peace.
Credits: Anna Wintour quote, as reported by the New York Magazine fashion blog, The Cut, online at http://nymag.com/daily/fashion. Background information on Alexander McQueen, as reported in my October 8, 2009 post, McQueen for Halloween, thanks to New York Magazine (http://www.nymag.com/). Photos, in order of appearance: (1) Alexander McQueen, photo thanks to Freshness (http://www.freshnessmag.com/); (2) Alexander Mcqueen runway looks, photo thanks to fashionindie.com.
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