ART PORTFOLIO PROJECT: RESEARCH: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

 

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Born in 1970 in the East End and the son of a taxi driver, Alexander McQueen was the quintessential bad boy made good.

He left school at 16 and trained on Savile Row at Gieves & Hawkes, where he reportedly once embroidered a suit for the Prince of Wales with the words "I am a c**t" (in the lining).

He earned his master's degree in fashion design from London's Central Saint Martins (formerly Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design) in 1992.

He had brains and brawn, having survived over ten years as a solo designer and being brought into the Gucci Group stable, which bought a 51 per cent stake in his company 2002. In 2008, his company not only turned a profit but was also opening new stores from LA to Beirut.

He was awarded the coveted Designer of the Year Award at the British Fashion Awards four times and won the Men's Wear Designer of the Year award in 2004. In 2003, he received the CFDA Award for Best International Designer and was honoured with a CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the fashion industry.

McQueen died, aged 40, on February 11 2010, amid unconfirmed reports that he committed suicide.

Alexander McQueen delivered collections that were often described in superlatives: "I didn't plan out my life like that," he said. "When people recognise and respect what you do, that's nice, but I don't think you ever do this to be famous. Fame should be left to the film stars. We're just offering a service."

I have always been a huge fan of Alexander McQueen because his collections and single pieces of clothing are remarkable and well-tailored. All of them are just a piece of art.

What made me look at Alexander McQueen this time was the design on the left. Amazing, luxurious dress full of flowers. It makes the model look like a fairy in a natural environment. I came across this dress while looking for floral purple fashion collections as this is what my project will be based on. However, for Alexander McQueen, no flower carries as much weight as the rose, but I want to focus on the violet flower. Notwithstanding that, I think it is not that important to look for the specific flower but for the floral designs themselves.

An interesting fact is that when I have researched this dress it turned out that it has a special meaning.

"...this piece, one of the most recognizable of McQueen’s oeuvre. Worn by Dziahileva to close the show, this dress featured hundreds of live roses that fell off as the model walked the runway, symbolizing the tension beauty and death." (Vogue, 2019)

Reference:

Vogue (2010) Alexander McQueen
Available from: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/alexander-mcqueen-biography
(Visited: 20.01.2021)

Vogue (2019) A Look Back at Some of Alexander McQueen’s Most Beloved and Beautiful Rose Creations
Available from: https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/alexander-mcqueen-rose-dresses
(Visited: 20.02.2021)