Alexander McQueen The Brand
Formerly known as Lee McQueen, this self styled ‘pink sheep’ of the family began his career on the prestigious Saville Row, where he made his name as fashion’s enfant terrible, when he sewed the words “I am a ****” into a jacket which had been made especially for the Prince of Wales.
Born in 1969, the son of and East End cabbie, Alexander McQueen has come a long way from his humble roots, to prove himself as an international fashion phenomenon. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, he caused ripples through the world of fashion when his entire graduate collection was snapped up by fashion veteran Isabella Blow in 1991.
A true rebel, who always strays far from the boundaries of normality and loves to indulge in shock tactics, McQueen was heralding his infamous ‘bumster’ trousers, whilst his contemporaries where parading the comparatively conservative hipster look on their catwalks’. His shows’ are always quite that, a show, with perhaps McQueen’s most outrageous being his 1995 Highland Rape extravaganza. Yet, despite his radical approach to design, his collections always remain deeply seated in a certain quintessential Britishness, with his Saville Row training evident in his sharp tailoring and attention to ornate detail.
Winner of the British Designer of the Year award in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003, McQueen was a successful soloist for 10 years, before joining the Gucci Group in 2000 after they bought a 51% stake in the business. 2006 saw the launch of McQueen’s diffusion line McQ, a predominantly denim based collection of womenswear, menswear and accessories.
With stores in London, New York, Milan, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the McQueen empire is rapidly growing. McQueen received a CBE in 2003 for his excellent commitment to fashion, once again proving him the East End boy made good.
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Alexander McQueen Classics
The McQueen collections include women’s ready-to-wear, men’s ready-to-wear, eyewear, accessories and fragrances, Kingdom by Alexander McQueen and My Queen by Alexander McQueen. Together with his McQ diffusion line which mainly sells jeans and denim based pieces.
Popular pieces from McQueen’s accessories collections have included aviator style sunglasses and the now famous skull scarf, loved by celebrities such as the Olsen twins and Nicole Ritchie.
Key McQueen signature womenswear pieces include, skinny cigarette pants, high waisted skirts, the bow shirt, biker jackets, tweed fabrics and Union Jack jumpers. This seasons sequin leggings are sure to set hearts a flutter, as are his python peep toes and suede and patent platform ankle boots. His Elvie bag is set to be this season’s must have, along with his python and crocodile clutches, and the Trigger has already sold like hotcakes.
For guys the asymmetric cardigan and the skull print t-shirts are a must. Although, if one is really trying to look dapper, the Chevron 2 button overcoat is the way to go.
The McQ line consists of high waisted retro style jeans, Graphite linen and wool mix culottes, bustier dresses, skinny jeans, logo t-shirts, crew neck jumpers, harem pants, over dyed j eans, hooded tops, cable knit cardigans and striped jerseys.
