1. Alexander Mcqueen
Presentation by Cindy Jun

2. 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)

3. 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)

4. 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)

5. 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)

6. 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 theYear by the Council of
Fashion Designers of America, as
well as other awards (Alexander
McQueen)

7. 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)

8. “No. 13”, s/s 1999

9. “irere”, s/s 2003

10. “widows of culloden”,
a/w 2007
a/w 2007
tt

11. “Sarabande”, s/s 2007

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

13. “the horn of plenty”, a/w 2009

14. “Plato’s Atlantis”, s/s 2010

15. Fashion shows
• Shows are known for theatricality

16. Marketing
• Small market in Haute Couture
• Develops signature accessories for the consumer market,
establishing itself classic luxury brand (Lamb)

17. 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

18. pop culture

19. Death
• February 12, 2010,
committed suicide (Camber)
• Age 40 (Camber)
• Days after mothers death
(Camber)

20. Final collection, a/w 2010

21. 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)

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

23. 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.