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The McQueen is dead

12th Feb, 10

“From heaven to hell and back again, life is a funny thing. beauty can come from the most strangest of places even the most disgusting places.” Alexander McQueen

*sigh* As I’m sure some of you already have heard, British designer Alexander McQueen was found dead yesterday.

I’m not going to bore you with the what, when, where and how this incident happened, as I’m sure you can find plenty of new reports surrounding this tragic news all over the web.

I’d like to talk a little bit about who he was though. Alexander McQueen was a son of a London cabbie. He was famously first discovered as a designer in the 90s by Isabella Blow, the style guru and fashion director of Tatler (who killed herself in May 2007 by taking weed killer after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer). Blow bought all the clothes he made for his graduate show for £5,000, rumour has it that the collection was delivered to her in black garbage bags. LOVE THAT!

In the 90s McQueen was known as the “hooligan of English fashion” or as the French press called him, “enfant terrible”. He shocked many with controversial collections and unconventional runway shows that border lined performance art.

Shock value aside, his craftsmanship was universally acknowledged and he is among the youngest ever to win the title of British designer of the year. He would go on to capture the title another three times.

McQueen’s style may not be everyone’s cuppa tea, hell it’s not even mine most of the time! But I admire is creativity and balls to the nth degree!

He had guts to do what most people are afraid to do, not just fashion, but in all facets of art and design. Which is to create ideas that generate conversation and debate, rather than just passive pretty things that people like.

That about sums up why I love Alexander McQueen. And all I know is that the world feels a little less creative without him in it…