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Video: Why the successful fashion designer Alexander McQueen decided to take his own life at the age of 40
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Alexander McQueen knew how not only to surprise with his outfits, he also shocked, made you think, showed his own attitude to everything that was happening in the world. He created collections for Givenchy and Gucci, designed sports shoes for Puma and opened his own boutiques on different continents of the planet. He was called the king of design and the genius of the catwalk, he was at the peak of his fame and was preparing for the demonstration of his new collection. But instead of the expected new show, the world saw a farewell ceremony with Alexander McQueen.
The man who made himself
He could become a taxi driver like his father or a social science teacher like his mother. However, he was not attracted by the prospect of dragging out an existence as poor as his family. Mom, Joyce McQueen, who raised six children, experienced a special emotional connection with her son, whom everyone simply called Lee. She made clothes for her daughters, and for her son, there seemed to be nothing more exciting than inventing new styles of clothes for sisters. At least the school lessons attracted him much less.
But Li's desire to devote his life to tailoring was met with hostility from relatives. It seemed to them that sewing was an absolutely unworthy occupation for a man. The boy was very stubborn: at some point he left school and got a job as an apprentice at Anderson & Sheppard. It was a real stroke of luck, because it was in this atelier that the rich and famous people, including members of the royal family, ordered their costumes.
Then the career of Alexander McQueen went up: atelier Gieves & Hawkes K, theater workshops and admission to the Central College of Art and Design St. Martins. However, even his admission was a miracle, because the future king of design never graduated from high school. However, the impressive portfolio played a role and the genius young man was allowed to get a design education.
McQueen's graduation collection impressed almost everyone who had a chance to see it. It was called "Jack the Ripper hunts down its victims" and was immediately bought by the famous fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who took care of the fate of the genius young fashion designer and opened his way into the world. However, Isabella Blow herself has repeatedly emphasized that she did not discover Alexander McQueen, but simply became his mentor and true friend.
Later, wherever the designer worked, all of his collections were imbued with the theme of violence and had very exotic names. At the same time, McQueen always thought big, and his creations became a real extravaganza of colors, feelings and emotions.
He designed the wardrobe for David Bowie's tour, worked on costumes for the dancer Sylvie Guillem, collaborated with renowned directors and choreographers, and designed collections for Givenchy, Gucci and Puma.
Alexander McQueen was named Designer of the Year in Great Britain four times and in 2003 won the CFDA Designer of the Year award. Called the "difficult kid" and "English fashion bully", he was known for his incredible and unusual catwalk shows, his use of new technologies and innovations during runway shows, the use of skulls in his designs and the emergence of low-rise trousers.
Fatal decision
Alexander McQueen has never hidden his unconventional sexual orientation. By his own admission, he "went straight from the womb to a gay pride parade." For many years he had a relationship with documentary filmmaker George Forsythe, whose unofficial marriage took place in 2000 on a yacht in Ibiza. However, a year later they parted, maintaining friendly relations.
Over the years, only two people remained close to the fashion designer: stylist Isabella Blow and mom, Joyce McQueen.
On May 7, 2007, Isabella Blow, who had suffered from depression in recent years, committed suicide. She was extremely offended by Alexander McQueen, who did not give her the opportunity to take part in the fashion deal with the Gucci fashion house, when Alexander was selling his brand. True, in addition to this there was the deprivation of the stylist's inheritance, separation from her husband and a diagnosed cancer.
However, it seems that only Alexander McQueen sincerely grieved over Isabella's death. He understood that he had lost a real friend in her face. But fate was preparing another blow for him. Once my mother asked what the son was afraid of more than anything else. Then Alexander replied that most of all he was afraid to die before his mother. He was not cunning: despite a very strong and touching emotional connection, the famous fashion designer did not want to hurt his mother either with his life, or, even more so, with his death.
Joyce McQueen passed away on February 2, 2010. Alexander was very upset by her departure, but he was going to pull himself together in order to live on. On February 11, 2010, a housekeeper found Alexander McQueen hanged in his own home on Green Street, London. The investigation established the fact of the famous fashion designer's suicide. And his friend David Lachapell said that Lee used too many drugs and was very unhappy at the time of his departure.
It seems that Alexander McQueen was never able to come to terms with his loneliness in the crowd after the loss of the closest person.
They were rich and successful, had authority in the fashion world, and could live long lives. However, neither financial well-being nor fame can be a guarantee that there will be no envy or desire to take revenge on those who were less fortunate. The stakes turned out to be too high or the fear of losing some goods was strong. The lives of the best representatives of the fashion world end tragically, and only the memory of those who once was the trendsetter of style remains.
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