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Alexander McqueenPresentation by Cindy Jun

childhood• Born Lee Alexander McQueen in London, March 17, 1969 (Lee Alexander)

• Youngest of six children (Lee Alexander)• Working-class family (Lee Alexander)• Father was a cab driver, mother was teacher (Lee Alexander)

• Left school at age 16 (Lee Alexander)

Career Beginnings• Offered apprenticeship at Savile Row, specializing in made-to-order mens suits (Lee Alexander)

• Moved on to theatrical costume design under designers Angels and Bermans (Lee Alexander)

• Briefly worked in Milan as a Design assistant to Romeo Gigli (Lee Alexander)

• Studied at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design in London, graduating 1992 (Alexander McQueen)

• Culminating project, inspired by Jack the Ripper caught attention of fashion director Isabelle Blow, who became his guru (Alexander McQueen)

Establishment• After receiving his degree, started his business in women's clothing, founded 1992 (Alexander McQueen)

• Four years after design school, was named Chief Designer of of Givenchy, at age 27 (Lee Alexander McQueen)

Givenchy• 1996-2001 (Lee Alexander McQueen)• Took position reluctantly (Alexander McQueen)• Tumultuous time in his life, as he rejected the concept of

corporation (Bowie)• Despite his daring designs, felt as if he was still being held

back (Alexander McQueen)• Eventually left position to pursue more freedom in his own

brand (Lee Alexander McQueen)• For work at Givenchy, won British Designer of the year in

1997, 1997. and 2001 (Lee Alexander McQueen)

Further success• Became even more daring

in design, garnered a name as a“fashion rebel” (Bowie)

• 2001, Gucci bought 51% stake in Alexander McQueen (Lee Alexander)

• Declared International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as well as other awards (Alexander McQueen)

Style• Known for dramatic flare and impeccable tailoring • Juxtoposition

• “one side of me is kind of really sombre and the other side of my brain is very erratic and it's always this fight against the other and I choose so many different things... [People] can't understand where [my designs are] coming from because there are so many sides of me in conflict.” (Bowie)

“No. 13”, s/s 1999

“irere”, s/s 2003

“widows of culloden”, a/w 2007

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“Sarabande”, s/s 2007

“The Girl who lived in the tree”, a/w 2008

“the horn of plenty”, a/w 2009

“Plato’s Atlantis”, s/s 2010

Fashion shows• Shows are known for theatricality

Marketing

• Small market in Haute Couture

• Develops signature accessories for the consumer market, establishing itself classic luxury brand (Lamb)

Makeup• First fashion designer to create cosmetics for MAC, October 2007 (Barnett)

• Based on the beauty looks from their A/W collection, which was Cleopatra, the 1963 film starring Elizabeth Taylor (Barnett)

Cleopatra, 1963

Alexander McQueen A/W 2007

Alexander McQueen for MAC

pop culture

Death• February 12, 2010, committed suicide (Camber)

• Age 40 (Camber)

• Days after mothers death (Camber)

Final collection, a/w 2010

Legacy• Sarah Burton became Creative Director of Alexander McQueen after McQueens death, whom she worked for for more than 14 years (Sarah Burton)

• Under the McQueen label, designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress (Sarah Burton)

• 2011 Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit Alexander McQueen garments, “Savage Beauty”, breaking attendance records (Vogue)

“It’s a new era in fashion- there are no rules.”

-Lee Alexander McQueen

Works Cited

"Alexander McQueen Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 07 Apr.

2014.

"Alexander McQueen." Vogue. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

Barnett, Leisa. "Queen of the Nile." Vogue UK. N.p., 07 Sept. 2007. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

Camber, Rebecca. "British Fashion Icon Alexander McQueen Commits Suicide Days

after Death of His Beloved Mother." Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers, 12 Feb.

2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

"David Bowie vs Alexander McQueen." Interview by David Bowie. Dazed Digital. N.p.,

Mar. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

Gabbatt, Adam. "Alexander McQueen: A Life in Fashion." The Guardian. Guardian

News and Media, 11 Feb. 2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

Lamb, Rachel. "Alexander McQueen Could Bolster Market Appeal through Iconic

Handbag Line." Luxury Daily. Napean LLC, 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

"Lee Alexander McQueen." Alexander McQueen. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

"Sarah Burton." Alexander McQueen. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.