This is something I just came across from my sophomore year "Fashion, Media and Culture," class with Dr. Daniel Durbin. His teachings that semester truly opened my eyes to the possibility that work does not always have to be such a tedious and joyless affair--this class inspired me to ultimately change my major. Granted, these were lessons devoted entirely to studying a fairly familiar topic for anyone female and breathing, but it was here that I learned the necessity of passion in doing one's best work. Truthfully, I caught myself, on more than one occasion, smiling during our final exam.....As the saying goes, "You'll love what you do if you do what you love," but at least for most college students who are unsure of their plans for the next 5, 10, 20 or 30 years, this phrase entails a rather elusive concept. I suppose that is why, when we come across those rare individuals who possess not only the talent, but the self-assurance, and ambition necessary for pursuing what they love, we are often left dumbfounded in awe and reverence.
This is the feeling that has always struck me when admiring the works of Alexander McQueen. I was only 15 when I first tried on a dress of his at his store on London's Bond Street. As every teenager 2 years into pouring over every Elle and Vogue they could find, I already knew everything there was to know about fashion, and yes mummy of course I've heard of him, he's the crazy British one who likes to freak people out at his shows! Naivete aside, I always have and will regret not buying that dress: not only was it an exquisite royal blue over-laid, sweet-heart bodiced, tulle-skirted masterpiece of a cocktail number that would have made any girl look like Grace Kelly, but the 21 year-old me can now appreciate that it would represent an invaluable piece of his unique and magnificent genius. His was a talent of innovation, of un-affected candor, and of extraordinarily genuine mastery. The tragic and unexpected loss of such a wonderful gift to the fashion industry and artistic communities alike was profoundly felt by many. My heart broke when I read of the agony those closest to him suspected he endured in his final days: perhaps some small solace or lesson does exist in the fact that, no matter how much more time we believe he was due, no matter how many more shows and creations we will dearly miss, Alexander McQueen was a revolutionary who wasted no time in the fog of other people' s expectations. He was a true maverick in his field, his works inspired countless people in innumerable ways, and his provocative genius always made us yearn for more, perhaps now more than ever....RIP.
In less than 10 years, Alexander McQueen has become one of the most respected fashion designers in the world. He rocked the fashion scene early on, with his shocking, over the top, and often-controversial collections, and has maintained his excellent reputation through selective marketing, empire expansion and an unwavering resolve to challenge the rules of fashion. McQueen has a brilliant resume, working both under and alongside names like Givenchy and Gucci, as well as a vast variety of experience, that has enabled him to rise to the top of his game, all the while daunting his competition with innovation, talent, and a unique ability to predict upcoming trends, thus transcending the line between designer and innovator by actually creating pieces that the public never knew they needed or wanted.
The fashion designer is the artist that creates the designs we wear, in both a form of individual artistic expression, as well as an expression of what the designer believes will sell. Exquisite detail, tailoring expertise and hard-edged street style are synonymous with McQueen’s designs (Boyd, 1). This attention to detail communicates quality to the consumer, something assuring considering the expensive price tag that comes with McQueen’s line. “Alexander’s collections combine an in-depth working knowledge of: bespoke British tailoring, the fine workmanship of the French Haute Couture atelier and the impeccable finish of Italian manufacturing” (Alexander, 1). However, his impeccable designs are sometimes criticized for being “un-wearable” and eccentric. His pieces appear, to some, to be a self-indulgent manipulation of his art and talent and thoughts. But regardless, the resultant product is something that people will undoubtedly buy anyway, so his notoriety and reputation has earned him some freedom to indulge his anarchistic side. Regardless of his own particular motivation for a certain product, the product is always sought after and well received, in spite of and because of his genius. His talent plainly develops excellence, therefore his personal beliefs are not the reason his lines are successful, they are successful because he has an obvious skill for creating clothes that people like and look for.
Before discussing what his show means as a form of communication, it must first be acknowledged for what it means as personal inspiration for McQueen. His Spring 2008 collection was created in honor of the late Isabella Blow, a woman who both discovered McQueen and propelled his career by sporting his most outlandish of fashions (Mower, 1). Beyond the tribute, his collection is a kind of scrapbook, filled with odes to his historical past triumphs on the runway, maintaining only the theme of birds in flight throughout the piece. “The molded-hip silhouette of a jacket and dusty, twisted georgette gowns came from his Barry Lyndon show; the floating bird-of-paradise prints, from his “shipwreck” season; the ombre-printed vast-shouldered kimonos, from his Japanese couture collection for Givenchy; the trapezoid shapes, transposed from the tricorne hats of his “highwayman” moment; the lace stockings, reprised from his They Shoot Horses performance…” (Mower, 1). His show was staged in sections, the first being the more legitimately “ready-to-wear” pieces of the collection. “The presentation set up the idea of a shipwreck, and the clothes -- frock coats, waistcoats, skull-and-crossbones jackets, knickerbockers, distressed dresses, harem pants -- were inspired by pirate garb…This first section was full of wearable clothes that were easily describable, and it was obviously oriented to make the buyers happy. They were.” (Sischy, 2). As is to be expected with any line of McQueen’s, he dazzled the critics and buyers with a triumphant display of showmanship and creative excellence by the end of the show. “And then came the explosion -- primary colors in bold feather prints that had the exuberance and vibrancy of wildlife in the jungle. This portion of the show had the distinct feeling of a celebration, of a coming out of the darkness into the light. For those deliriously beautiful moments, Alexander McQueen gave himself and the audience a really happy ending, just like the fairy tale” (Sischy, 3).
Alexander McQueen is known for the emotional power of his messages and the raw energy of his shows, as well as the romantic, yet determinedly contemporary nature of his collections (Alexander, 1). A defining feature of the McQueen culture is the balance he creates between contrasting elements, such as fragility and strength, tradition and moderninity, and fluidity and severity (Alexander, 1). McQueen is truly one of fashion’s most innovative and takes obvious joy at pushing things to the edge, pushing people’s buttons along the way being an added bonus (Boyd, 1). “McQueen is well known for his controversial shows…intended, as he has always insisted, to draw attention” (Wilson, 2). His radical tendencies, deemed by some critics as no more than shock tactics, challenge the traditionally accepted concepts of fashion and beauty (Mari, 1). His fashion-savvy followers and clients, however, see his vision as radical, innovative and revolutionary genius. “Sometimes when McQueen deals with loaded issues, like religious wars, class struggles or poverty and starvation, as he has in the past, he gets people hot and bothered. They object on all sides -- from those who think these subjects have no place in a fashion context, to those who believe that by introducing them on the runway they become glib and inappropriately glamorized. However, expecting McQueen to rid his work of worldly content would be like expecting Andy Warhol to go monochromatic.” (Sischy, 1). McQueen has been judged for his self-indulgent themes that often comment on things most critics would prefer to leave in the figurative closet. He puts onto the runway what inspires him at the moment, and whether or not the critics respond positively or negatively is of little importance to a man of such conviction. Regardless of what the critics will continue to say, McQueen loves to send shivers up the spine of his audience before, during and after his shows. (Sischy, 2)''’I believe in depicting what's going on. I'm a big anarchist. I don't believe in religion, or in another human being wanting to govern over someone else. The themes that go through my shows will continue to, because there's more to life. It's why I do what I do. I do believe fashion is a voice. There are times when I'm less aggressive, but sometimes you have to shove it in someone's face’” (Sischy, 2).
Fashion designers target celebrities so that they may add value to their product by wearing it at public events. Everyone even remotely edgy or provocative, and those who wish to portray such an image for an evening, wears Alexander McQueen. The celebrities that often wear his designs tend to be more cutting-edge or anti-establishment, yet there are also some who are simply fashion-forward, and know that to be seen wearing McQueen will lend value to their own celebrity as well. Ayumi Hamazaki is one of the many starts that have lent an international element to Alexander’s appeal. The extremely influential Japanese superstar often sports McQueen’s designs on and off the red carpet, providing a celebrity appeal that has made his fashion both well known and highly sought after in Japan’s culture. Born in London, he obviously has a loyal following from his fellow Brits, ranging from royalty (Prince Charles) to rock stars (Elton John), fashionistas (Sienna Miller) to footballers (David Beckham). This variety of celebrity not only lends different validation to McQueen’s line, but also exposes him to different clientele than would normally notice fashion, like sports fans or musicians. Other followers of McQueen include Katie Holmes, Nicole Kidman, Timbaland, Lucy Liu, Mary Kate Olsen, Christina Aguilera, and Gwyneth Paltrow, who actually had an unfortunate review for wearing a sheer gothic number of McQueen’s to the Oscars in 2002. When asked about the incident, McQueen later said in W magazine…”I don’t count stars…if people want to wear it and they are passionate about it, then that’s good for me” (Nellis, 1). McQueen is no stranger to occasionally unflattering press, but he most often gets it for what he sends down the runway in an intentionally controversial statement he realizes not everyone will appreciate. One hopes that they will not suffer bad reviews for a fashionista with so much confidence in her prowess that she refuses to hire a stylist (Nellis, 1). But there are plenty of amazing designers in the industry, and a great many that try to provoke audiences in similar ways, so this cannot be the only reason that people choose to wear his clothes. McQueen is different than the mainstream elite fashion designers. There are always aspects of each of his collections that are controversial, and that draws a lot of people to him and his creations, but the underlying effect of why people buy his clothes is because that is what they want to wear, his is the statement people want to make.
McQueen practices selective marketing to the upper class, high-end retailers and high fashion magazines in order to convey and maintain his image as an elite label. His marketing style is never audacious and you won’t find his advertisements lining the pages of Vogue, Elle or any other top fashion magazine. There are countless pages of his peers like Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci and Marc Jacobs doing just that, but McQueen prefers to be found in the core of the magazine: having his pieces speak for themselves across pages of editorial spread sheets, his name hidden beneath the fine print at the bottom of the page. He lets his work, rather than his name, be the selling point of his fashion pieces. McQueen, formerly known simply as the provocative hell-raiser of London fashion, has reached a level of stature in which his clientele is made largely of ladies-who-lunch and other individuals with considerable means. He is not the kind of designer, or man for that matter, to pander to others’ preconceived notions of what will sell, and frankly, he has reached a point at which he doesn’t need to care. He is well aware of who his audience is and know exactly how to keep them coming back for more. McQueen has quite a reputation among those in the fashion industry. While he has not gone without critical reprimand for his blatant, occasionally offensive messages, as well as his refusal to apologize for expressing his opinions, he is undoubtedly regarded among the most innovative and talented elite of his profession. Though the road to such success is often bumpy and character changing for some, McQueen understands who has helped to make that possible, and concurrently is known for always trying to accommodate as many writers, photographers, buyers, customers, etc. as possible at his shows. (Mari, 1). In return, the designer has international coverage of all his shows, thus increasing the mediums through which his line may be shown, discussed and ultimately purchased. He is unique and that’s what makes him commercial to his clients. There is an audience for what he does, regardless of what the critics and peers say, as he regards his ultimate judge as being the consumer.
One particular critique often assigned to McQueen is that his clothes are made for the runway, not actual people and everyday life. This is understandable, considering that his ready-to-wear lines are sometimes indistinguishable in grandeur from other designers’ haute couture collections. This has not deterred his customers, however. His hard work to cultivate his notoriety in a business which values showmanship, an element which may serve to elevate one above the competition, has attracted a devout following that not only believes in his genius, but quite literally buys into the images and messages that he puts forth on the runway (Newsmakers, 1). “The neon sign of one’s inner thought is the clothes that one puts on one’s body. Fashion in many ways defines the self-concept and character of the individual, and it gives a message to the audience. One has to gear one’s message to how seriously one wants to be taken” (Nash, 2). The choices that one makes in fashion say so much about a person before they have a chance to say a word. Perhaps by dressing in Alexander McQueen, a man whose notoriety and fame precede him as well, his most devoted clients are hoping to, in a way, share in and reflect a part of his genius and creativity. One is what one chooses to symbolize (Nash, 2). “The way you dress is one of the biggest statements you make in life. Like it or not, you define your character with it, and your opinions on life -- politically, sexually, financially, religiously with: what colors you pick, what shape you like” (Nash, 3). As well as what designer you wear…
As far as trying to make his designs a part of the “hot” scene, McQueen is well aware that this already exists and is pre-determined by others in the industry, so he doesn’t design with that end goal in mind—nor does he design to be purposefully controversial—he designs for himself, his issues, his audience, his message, and his own identity, which happens to be more provocative and unusual that the mainstream. He does however recognize the bottom line of this business, which is that if his line doesn’t sell, he wont be able to create anymore. There’s an acknowledgement in that fashion is a business, and thusly, has to create revenue. The minute his collection doesn’t sell, he is no longer viable, and we won’t see his collections within a few seasons. Fashion is a balancing act. For all of McQueen’s rebellious, rule-breaking, provocative, innovative, political and radical statements, he is well aware that his is a commercial and profit-based business, and that playing by the rules in some ways is a necessary evil to his overall cause. Hence the reason that, while his ads may appear selectively, he is not entirely above marketing in magazines, and has been seen on a number of billboards across London. He has a dedicated following of people that wait for his line to come onto the runway, so the very lack of 52 Alexander McQueen ads in Vogue is an ad campaign in itself, because it builds excitement and anticipation. He propels a deliberate campaign of mystery in this, allowing the consumer to create their own longing for his new collection, rather than trying to elicit it from them.
Ever since Alexander McQueen first stepped out onto the fashion scene, his raison d’etre has been to provoke new and different perceptions, images and revenue, all the while gaining recognition and legitimacy as a fashion designer. His determination and raw talent has undoubtedly earned all that and more. He clearly knows what his audience wants and he gives it to them…on his own terms of course.
She stunned at The Runaways premier in this pink Doo.Ri stunner; I've looked for it everywhere and it is understandably already sold out...I cannot wait for the day when her publicists make her cave to one of the many spokesmodel deals she must be receiving from innumerable fashion houses. I can't wait to see which label is fortunate enough to cash in on her obviously profitable marketing potential (Marc Jacobs anyone? I know its not one of her regulars but can't you see that marriage of beguiling-quirky-edgy awesomeness?)
Navy and white...it clearly fits the nautical, high fashion graphic and mod pop art trends, not to mention Kristen's unique capturing of the trade on amazingly eye-catching pieces.
To quote Christian Siriano...FIERCE...nothing else can be said, its a high-fashion middle finger
Her Allure shoot was breathtaking, I only wish there were more pics in the magazine to showcase the amazing hair, makeup, styling and scenery that culminated that day, what a waste of 5 bucks when all the "behind-the-scenes" photographic masterpieces were all online!
I have no grounds to make this statement with any certainty, but I have a feeling that Joan Jett would approve of this hard-rock look especially, hell even Ozzy might like it! (Dracula too...if he could)
So incredibly beautiful, very French Vogue with a touch of a school-girl naivete meets coquettish bondage attempts going on. I remade this look one night at dinner on a trip to Italy, great success...
If I could go through such exquisite dresses as quickly as celebrities, I would no doubt overdose on the delights of fashion rapture, and die an incredibly happy girl.
Alice and Olivia can do no wrong. End of story. This dress was a trendsetting godsend, and the envy of nearly everyone I know who happens to be female and breathing.
For the life of me I cannot fathom why she got so much flack for wearing Chucks with this. A) Girlfriend had a bad ankle B) It worked C) It worked WELL D) You know it made you resurrecte your old converse high-tops the next day alongside your edgiest LBD, don't lie...
This was so edgy, the courage it took to wear this unusual wonder, I cant even imagine, hats off.
