Alexander McQueen Biography

Vita

• After tailoring clothes for his sisters at a young age of 16 (1985), McQueen left school and trained as a men's tailor with the traditional tailors Anderson & Sheppard and Gieves & Hawkes on Mayfair's Savile Row in London.

• 1989

  At 20, McQueen started working as a pattern cutter for Japanese designer Koji Tatsuno. He then moved to Milan to work for Italian designer Romeo Gigli. This was followed by jobs as a theater costume designer in London and with Italian fashion designer Romeo Gigli in Milan.

• 1992

  McQueen graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London with a Master of Arts degree. The British Vogue stylist Isabella Blow buys his entire graduation collection. Since that day Isabella was considered his muse and mentor.

  

• 1993

  The designer founded the fashion company Alexander McQueen Trading Limited, with headquarters in Haywards Heath. In the early years he exclusively created women's collections, which, like his later works, were always inspired by his own autobiography and a fascination with the animal kingdom.

  

• 1996

  McQueen received the British Designer of the Year award from the British Fashion Awards for the first time. He wins the title again in 1997, 2001 and 2003. He becomes head designer of Givenchy.

  

• 1997

  McQueen succeeds John Galliano as haute couture designer for the Givenchy fashion house.

• 1999

  McQueen opens his first boutique.

• 2000

  McQueen marries documentary filmmaker George Forsyth. His maid of honor is none other than Kate Moss. However, the separation of the couple follows just one year later.

• 2001

  McQueen's company has belonged to the Gucci Group of the French luxury goods group Kering (known as PPR until 2013), after McQueen signs over 51% of his shares to the group. In the process, he also loses his job at Givenchy, but remains creative director of his own brand.

• 2003–2004

  With the turn of the millennium, the designer expands to New York and Milan and for the first time designs a men's collection (2004) and also fragrances (2003). He was named International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers in 2003.

  

• 2005

  McQueen begins a collaboration with Puma.

  

• 2006

  McQueen designs a large part of the outfits for Lady Gaga. Madonna, Courtney Love and David Bowie also wear McQueen's clothes on stage.

• 2010

  In February 2010 fashion designer Alexander McQueen is found dead in his apartment the day before his mother's funeral. An autopsy reveals that he consumed a cocktail of drugs and then hanged himself.

• After McQueen's death, designer Sarah Burton, McQueen's right-hand woman since 1996, continues to run the Alexander McQueen brand. Burton designed the wedding dress for Kate Middleton, helping the McQueen brand become even more famous worldwide.

• 2011

  The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted a highly popular posthumous exhibition of McQueen's work in 2011 titled Savage Beauty, featuring elaborate staging with unique architectural finishes and soundtracks for each room. The retrospective of his work becomes one of the most visited exhibitions of the museum ever.