Who was Alexander McQueen?
Alexander McQueen was a British Fashion Designer and couturier. He was Born on March17th 1969, and sadly passed away on the 11th of February 2010. Alexander is hugely known for having worked as chief designer for Givenchy from 1996 to 2001, and for founding his own fabulous Alexander McQueen label. His massive achievements in fashion earned Alexander a British designer of the year awards (1996, 1997, 2001, 2003), as well as the CFDA's (council of fashion Designers America) International designer of the year award in 2003. Born on the 17th of March 1996 in Lewisham, London, Lee Alexander McQueen was the youngest of six children. While he reportedly grew up in a council house, the McQueens had lived in a terrace house in Stratford since he was less that one years old. Alexander started creatively designing and making dresses for his three sisters from a young age, and announced his intention to become a fashion designer. This fabulous designer left secondary school at the age of sixteen in1985 with one O-level in art, going onto serve an apprenticeship with savile row tailors Anderson and Sheppard, before joining Gieves and Hawkes, and later the theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans. The many skills he picked up and learnt on the apprenticeship with Savile and Rowe earned him a reputation in the marvellous fashion world as an expert in creating an impeccably tailors look. While doing the apprenticeship with Savile and Rowe, McQueen clients included Mikhail Gorbachev and prince Charles. At the age of twenty he spent a period of time working for Koji Tatsuno before travelling to Milan, Italy and working for Romeo Gigli. McQueen returned for London and applied to central Saint Martin college of art and design, to work as a pattern cutter tutor. Because of his creativity of strength in his portfolio, he was persuaded by the head of the masters course, to enrol in the course as a student instead. He received his masters degree in fashion design, and his 1992 graduation collection was brought in entirely by influential fashion stylist Isabella blow, who was said to have persuaded McQueen to become known as Alexander (his middle name), when he subsequently launched his fashion career. Alexander McQueen's fashion collections were hugely loved before he passed away, and are still hugely admired till this very day. Even though McQueen sadly passed away on the 11th of February 2010, his work still continues to shine as it was taken over by Gucci owner Sarah Burton, who continued to carry on his spectacular fashion designs and collections, pushing his magnificent talent further.
McQueen's reputation in the fashion world
Mcqueen's early run way collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics (earning the title "L 'Enfant terrible" and "the Hooligan of English fashion"), with trousers aptly named "bumsters", and a collection titled "Highland Rape". In 2004 Journalist Caroline Evans also wrote to McQueen's "theatrical staging of cruelty", in 032s magazine, referring to his darkened tortured renderings of Scottish history. McQueen was known for his lavish unconventional runway shows: a recreation of a shipwreck for his spring 2003 collection; spring 2005s human chess game; and his autumn 2006 show "windows of culloden" which featured a life sized hollogram of super model Kate Moss, dressed in yards of rippling fabrics. McQueen has been credited with bringing drama and extravagance to his collections on the catwalks . He uses new amazing technology and innovation to add different twists to his own shows, often shocking and surprising his audiences. His marvellous silhouettes that he created for adding a sense of fantasy and rebellion to fashion. McQueen became one of the first fashion designers to use Indian models in London. His collections and catwalks continue to amaze audiences globally, with the unique approaches he included within them. His collection and catwalks to this day are still hugely admired and fabulously put together with Devine collections created by Sarah Burton.
'Highland Rape'
Autumn/Winter 1995-96
Alexander McQueen's 1995 collection, Highland rape , generated fierce criticism due to his use of seemingly violated and distraught models wearing slashed and revealing garments. In conjunction with the collection's title, the presentation of the models led many critics to believe he was advocating violence toward women. However, McQueen intended the word "Rape" to signify the nineteenth-century "Rape" of Scottish highlands by profit-driven English landlords. For the show, the run way was covered in heather and bracken ,and many of the outfits, made in McQueen tartan, referenced to nineteenth-century bodice shapes. In the breast-exposing, tartan trimmed jackets and figure-hugging tartan bodice topped with "decimated" lace, McQueen's tailoring expressed the barbarism meted out to the fragile Highland way of lie and its ecology. This specific collection created by McQueen is highly admirable because it tells a story within the garments. I like this collection because Alexander has based it on real life event ("Rape" of Scottish highlands), and created and designed garments to with tell the real life events through this fashion collection catwalk.
'Dante'
Autumn/Winter 1996-97
This highly theatrical collection was staged at a church in Spitalfields, where guests sat in pews next to skeletons. Models wore crucifix masks, denim splashed with bleach , and mourning veils in black lace. An opening of organ music was drowned out by gunfire." it's not so much about death, but the awareness that it's there" (Alexander McQueen). I really liked the peculiar dark nature that this collection withheld, and I like how he also based this collection on a topic to really emphasis the topic through his created garments, symbolising elements from the topic within his marvellous designed pieces during the catwalk.
The 'Eshu" collection
Autumn/Winter 2000-01
Alexander McQueen designed a collection inspired by the Yoruba people of west Africa, the models walked along a catwalk of broken stones in an industrial warehouse in Paris. McQueen fused traditional tribal motifs, like extended hair headdresses and fur trims, with modern western elements like fringing , denim and plaid. Tribal neck rings worked as collars, and have featured again this Autumn/Winter. I really liked the new approach and style within this Alexander McQueen collection catwalk. The approach of targeting a new style and culture of fashion, Starts of new trends withholding different cultural styles. This specific catwalk collection enabled to present to audiences different approaches to fashion. In this case, the catwalks was being influenced by the African tribal dress wear. This collection is historically educating and beautiful to witness what different cultures dress like, and how the different cultural dress wears can be designed and presented more modernly.
The 'Voss' collection
Spring/Summer 2001
Nicknamed the asylum collection, this elaborate show cost £70,000 and took seven days to construct. Models watched themselves in a two-way mirror, walking around an inner cube which opened to reveal a naked body covered in butterflies and moths; recreating a photograph by John-Peter Witkin. The final outfit worn by model Karen Elson, was constructed from vintage silk kimono and segments of two hundred year old Japanese screen. This marvellous collection by Alexander McQueen was beautifully put together and created a gorgeous natural nature edition. This collection was also made based on a photograph by John-Peter Witkin, and Alexander brought this photograph to life through this spectacular lavish fashion collection.
'The dance of the twisted bull'
Spring/Summer 2002
This spanished themed show saw models impaled with red flags, with traditional flamenco dresses cut in red leather. McQueen reinterpreted Spanish frills in densely folded fluted skirts. Matador suites featured padded hip embellishment, with the hats reworked in moulded plastics. I really liked how this collection was presented and executed. The use of McQueen expressing another culture through his designed garments created a beautiful culture esc catwalk collection. This spectacular Spanish collection was magnificently done, being educating for audiences showing them a sighting into Spanish cultural fashion.
'Irere'
Spring/Summer
A huge colossal screen projected the image of a drowning girl, with models like bleached pirates in dresses shredded like seaweed. As the girl was saved, the screen darkened and so did the clothes, from the brown and beige to black leather and lace, set against the green and black backdrop of night-vision. One model on the screen disappeared into the woods, and returned lit by a heat sensor, with the third section of the collection exploding into rainbow bright tropical colours, in voluminous shapes with birds of paradise headdresses. This Devine catwalk collection was hugely admired by its audience and made a marvellous collection along with all of Alexanders other collections. This specific collection was based on a topic which was preformed extravagantly through his created garment pieces. The topic "Irere" presented peculiar darkened garments which were equally unique and creative within this collection, preforming elements from the topic of which this catwalk was based on.
'It's Only a Game'
Spring/Summer 2005
This collections catwalk was transformed into a giant chessboard, as thirty six models took their places and fought against eachother. Some looks referenced Alexander McQueen's archive, while others were inspired by the film picnic at the Hanging Rock, set in the early twentieth century. This collection was a beautifully executed collection which performed the topic it was based on through the marvellous produced garments. I really liked how the catwalk was played out to be like a chess board, because this performed a spectacular fashion show for the audiences viewing this magnificent peculiar collection.
'The Widows of Culloden'
Autumn/Winter 2006-7
In tribute to the women who lost their husbands in the bloody battle of Culloden, McQueen returns to Scotland for his inspiration. Despite feather and stag horn headdresses, Elizabethan, ruffs, veils of antique lace and rich Scottish tartan, this show will be remembered for the haunting hologram of Kate Moss, a version in floating organza. This spectacular cat walk collection was beautifully mesmerising and each of the garments showed held a unique style and purpose, presenting the theme Alexander used to construct this collection together.
'Sarabande'
Spring/Summer 2007
This show took place at the Cirque D'Hiver in Paris, inspired by the 1975 film Barry Lyndon and iconic eccentric Marchesa Casati. Real flowers adorned the dress worn by the model Tanya Dziahileva, and the petals dropped behind her as she walked. "Things rot. It was all about decay. I used flowers because they die" (Alexander McQueen). Where much of the collection was pouring clothes, McQueen exaggerated funeral elements and played with body shapes through padding. This fabulously executed catwalk was beautifully put together with the gorgeously Devine detailed garment pieces within the collection. This specific collections garments powerfully screamed the theme 'Sarabande', which Alexander chose to base this marvellous collection on.
'The Girl Who Lived In The Tree'
Autumn/Winter 2008
"I've got a 600-year old elm tree in my garden and I made up this story of a girl who lives in it and comes out of the darkness to meet a prince and become a queen" (Alexander McQueen). In time with the theatrical of the story, the clothes are regal, almost livery, heavily embellished and sumptuous. This exquisite collection was inspired by the Indian Empire. It was a collection of miraculously detailed garments, which resembled a costume like style in the twisted fairy tale fashion world. This beautiful collection was gorgeously put together in a dark twisted fairy tale performance, presenting gorgeously created costume esc fairy tale garments.
'The Horn of Plenty'
Autumn/Winter 2009-10
For Autumn Winter 2009, Alexander presented his show Horn of Plenty in Paris. The show was typically extravagant and theatrical; arguably one of the best. Set to Marilynn Manson's beautiful people, McQueen celebrated the best moments of his career. Models looked like blow-up dolls, or Manson himself, with hair curled and bound under plastic and extraordinary Philip Treacy umbrella hats. McQueen referenced pivotal moments in fashion history, most noticeably Dior's new look. He also revisited his own past, using archive pieces from jewellery designers Shaun Leane, and decorating set with a scrap yard of props from past shows. The garments were made entirely of gull and crow feathers, which made the models into bird-like creatures. This gorgeously put together collection executed a beautifying animal nature styled look, performing elements of bird like creatures within the garment pieces.
'Plato's Atlantis'
Spring/Summer 2010
The show featured two gigantic cameras on a catwalk backed by a gigantic screen creating a magnificent multi-media experience. The display showed the camera as they filmed the models walking, zooming in for close ups on faces and areas of the garments, and also featured a film on intertwining digital patterns that appeared on the fabrics of the collection. The clothes featured digital prints of exotic reptilian skins and butterfly patterns as the central theme. There were mini dresses with pronounced hips and shoulders creating a dramatic silhouette, and layers and folds in the garments that were reminiscent of the skins found in reptiles and insects. Models wore high platform shoes and layers and folds in the garments that were reminiscent of the skins found in reptiles and insects. The high platform shoes worn by the models featured similar prints and embellishments to the clothes, which have become know as the 'armadillo shoes' and have also been famously worn by Lady Gaga. This beautifully constructed catwalk collection performed an elegant urban nature and animal styled look. The garment pieces created for this catwalk collection, each held and performed elements from the topic 'Plato's Atlantis' which this collection was based on.
My Design
For my designed illustration based of Alexander Mqueen's collection, I wanted to take elements from a few of his marvellous collections and present them all together on my illustrated designed piece. I thoroughly admire many of Alexander Mcqueen's collections, however I decided to include elements from the collections "Highland Rape", "The dance of the twisted bull", "Irere" and "sarabande". For my Alexander Mcqueen inspired design, I decided to design I magnificent body suite garment sketch, with gorgeous illustrated elements from these collections growing out from it. I first took elements from the collection of "highland rape" and designed a spectacular oversized collar in the style of Alexander Mcqueen's "Highland Rape" collection. I created the collar to be tartan which recreates the elements, styles and colours seen In this beautiful collection. I then Decided to take elements from the collection of "The Twisted Bull" and created an illustrated ruffled sleeve on one side. This was to create elements from "The Twisted Bull" collection, and also to give a modern take on it, by having it on one side of the arm. The "Irere' collection inspired me hugely, therefore I wanted to included it in my illustrated design. I decided to include elements from this magnificently, darkened collection, and recreate the ship wreck approach more modernly on my illustrated design. I decided to recreate the teared seaweed fabric styled look , and have it draping down from the illustrated bodysuits designed garment. I also included elements from Alexander Mcqueen's collection "sarabande" by presenting a floral design on my illustrated garment piece. This addition to my illistarted design piece presented a beautifying look which contrasted with the elements taken from the "Irere" collection. However, all the elements from Alexander Mcqueen's collections I descided to use within my designed piece, complemented each other hugely and intertwined with one another to preform a magnificently divine future esc styled look.
My Design Feedback
