Ten years ago this week the unforgettable life of Alexander McQueen was lost at his own hands. Many of you may not remember him for the clothes he thought of, but for the moments he created. A huge part of what made McQueen stand out from other designers was his ability to challenge the normative conventions of fashion. The legacy that McQueen left on the runway is both ridiculous and fantastic. Here are three moments in which McQueen changed how we think about fashion.
3. McQueen’s stab at the fashion industry (VOSS SS01)
Picture by Vogue
Described as “nothing short of monumental” by Vogue in 2016, McQueen’s 2001 Spring collection excavated the perfectionist self-consciousness of the fashion industry. As someone who battled with mental health over the years, McQueen knew the psychological strain that is put on people in the fashion industry, especially those that walk in those clothes. And he basically wanted to call the industry out. Those who were at the show were faced with a mirrored box, only showing their reflection, which was McQueen’s way of returning their scrutinising gaze.
- The Golden Shower (SS98)
Picture from Twitter @diorangxl
McQueen’s work sometimes moved in uncomfortably extreme directions, and it was obvious that like many other designers, he had an artistic interest in eroticism fetishism. But no amount of interest could’ve prepared us for his Spring show in 1998. The models walking the runway that night came out in beautifully patterned tailored jackets, only to be adorned by a heavy shower of golden rain. Water lit with yellow soaked the models, peeling away their jackets to reveal a layer of bandage-like dresses which dragged across the wet runway.
- It’s a Jungle out There (AW97)
Picture by Town & Country
Over the years, McQueen created countless unforgettable experiences that earned him his place on the vast landscape that is the fashion industry. But one that stands above all others is his AW97 show ‘It’s a Jungle out There’. Models walked the runway dressed like animals with horns and painted faces. During the performance, a group of students who weren’t allowed in, stormed the venue, kicking over many of the fire pots used in McQueen’s show. Then a real fire started, which spread to a pile of cars used in the show which still had petrol in their tanks. Now there’s a car fully on fire next to the runway where the models are walking, and McQueen is saying: “Don’t you f***ing dare go out with fire extinguishers… Keep sending them out, keep sending them out!”. How this show wasn’t stopped, I can’t think. But the idea was re-introduced that fashion could and should be dangerous.
