Alexander McQueen

This guest artist post is by Courtney Erin at Sartorial Sidelines.

Writing a short piece about the work of Lee Alexander McQueen is a daunting task. By any measurable standard, McQueen was a true innovator and a brilliant artist.

Prior to his 2010 suicide, McQueen (who started his career at Givenchy before founding his own label and acquired his impeccable tailoring skills while apprenticing on Savile Row) produced a dazzling array of collections that engaged powerfully with themes as varied as romanticism, nationalism, exoticism, and historicism.  For example, his Highland Rape collection (one of his most celebrated), referenced the Battle of Culloden, English imperialism, Scottish identity, and nationalism more broadly.  McQueen’s daring and controversial designs earned him both a dedicated following and a reputation as a provocateur (he was variously termed “l’enfant terrible” and the “hooligan of English fashion”). The catalogue to the recent retrospective of his work at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art described McQueen’s work as replete with “mythic images of chivalry, brutality, and romance, ideals of heroic women, beauty in the unconventional – these ideas infused McQueen’s designs with an unparalleled emotional depth and challenged us to embrace new ideas about gender, history,and nature.” I highly doubt that any commentator could phrase it better.

As I mentioned at the start, writing a short piece about McQueen’s life and many achievements is a near-impossible task. He was a fascinating individual and one of the mos tinfluential designers of recent memory. I encourage everyone to spend some time looking up information about him, read about his life and work, and, above all, gaze upon his work (examples below). You won’t be disappointed.

This beautiful contribution is brought to you by Courtney Erin! Edmonton born and bred (and Canadian through and through), Courtney shares her musings on style and fashion at Sartorial Sidelines.  You can connect with her Twitter: @courtneymedea.

All Images courtesy of The Met.