As you know, legends are not born. They become and most often a person acquires this “status” after death. But the British designer Alexander McQueen was destined to become a legend during his lifetime. Shock, outrageousness, the art of creating something hitherto unknown and completely incomprehensible - these are the words most suitable for a brief description of the fashion designer and his collections. You can have different attitudes towards McQueen’s creations, but it’s unlikely to remain indifferent when looking at them.
Each of his shows is a whole theatrical performance filled with deep meaning. Shocking is just a way to draw attention to certain problems, to express your attitude to life brightly, emotionally and without embellishment. It is impossible to get acquainted in detail with all his collections within the framework of one article. Let's look at just a few of them.
Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims - 1992
The designer presented the collection, the name of which translates as “Jack the Ripper stalks his victims,” in 1992. This was his first graduation show.From the very beginning, McQueen managed to shock the audience.
He added wool and hair to the lining of individual items and event invitations.
The designer placed strands of hair twisted into a ring in plastic bags and placed them on the outside and inside of the clothes. The resulting effect soon became recognizable to many. Lowercase letter c inside capital Q the brand name refers to this small but significant detail. The designer himself explained this move as a tribute to the tradition adopted in the Victorian era - giving a lock of hair bought from a prostitute to his beloved. Back then it was considered an expression of love and admiration.
Inspired by the legend of a cruel and elusive killer who committed his crimes in London from 1888 to 1891, the designer presented a collection consisting of ten looks. Many of them went down in the history of modern fashion.
Taking the silhouette typical of the Victorian era as a basis - a corset, a close-fitting collar and narrow sleeves - he added his own elements that later became recognizable. These include an extremely low waistline and a cut that reveals the chest and stomach.
The collection show took place in an abandoned industrial building. One of the most recognizable items was an elongated jacket made of pink silk. Its pattern resembled thorn branches.
This is how the editor of one of the popular fashion magazines describes the show: “The colors of all the clothing items were sharp. The black jacket, which was decorated with hair, and the blood-red lining was visible from the inside, attracted attention. Everything together was very similar to a living body, endowed with flesh and blood. It was a challenge to tradition, a tandem of beauty and cruelty - the embodiment of everything that the 90s represented.”
VOSS - spring-summer 2001
At this show, the central part of the catwalk was occupied by a mirrored cube. The room itself was initially darkened as the audience waited for the show to start. The light came on... But people continued to look at their reflection for another two hours - nothing happened.
Finally, the fashion show started - the public saw models in looks inspired by Hitchcock films and shocking photos by Joel-Peter Witkin. The outfits include fluffy dresses decorated with ostrich feathers, office suits with asymmetrical jackets and unusual decor. Models wore headbands made of bandages or complex designs with stuffed birds on their shoulders.
McQueen himself watched their reactions on the monitor during the two hours that people spent waiting for the show in front of the mirror. The audience kept looking away so as not to see their reflection. This part of the show was the designer's idea. The main idea is to “turn the fashion industry back towards these people.”
Shortly before the end of the show, the lights went out on the podium, but came on in the cube, the walls of which suddenly began to fall and break into pieces. Then the audience saw a naked woman wearing a mask. Butterflies were flying above her. It was a dead ringer for Joel-Peter Witkin's Sanitarium photo.
The headdresses, which were umbrellas and bird cages, were striking in their enormous size. The collection's utilitarian looks were combined in an original way with garments made entirely from duck feathers.
The items on display were impractical and, of course, absolutely not suitable for wear, but they fully reflected the main idea of the designer - his collections are not commerce, but art.
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