Shades Of Alexander McQueen

When a life ends too soon it's a tragedy for family,friends and loved ones. When a life like Lee Alexander McQueen's ends before it should, as it did on February 11th, 2010, there is an extra dimension to the loss, because now so many people will never know what other wonderful creations he might have given to the world. His clever, dramatic designs have been worn by celebrities like Bj?rk, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna, earned him great critical acclaim and the British Designer of the Year award four times.

His journey started out from humble origins. Born in England in 1969 to a working class family, McQueen was making dresses for his three sisters at an early age and had already set his sights on becoming a fashion designer. He left school with just one qualification in art. Armed only with that and his desire, he embarked on an apprenticeship that saw him placed with a number of high-class tailors, including a theatrical costumiers on London's Savile Row. It was here that McQueen honed the skills that would later cement his reputation as a master of fine tailoring. By 1989, he was working for Koji Tatsuno. Later, he moved on to Romeo Gigli in Milan, Italy.

McQueen came back to London in 1994, intent on working at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London's most prestigious fashion school. He had hoped to be employed as a pattern cutter tutor, but because of his strong portfolio the Head of the Masters course encouraged him to enrol as a student. He gained a Masters degree in fashion design and his graduation collection was bought outright by the influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow. It was Blow who was said to have persuaded McQueen to use his middle name of Alexander when he later launched his fashion career. That opportunity came with his appointment as head designer at Givenchy in 1996, where he toiled for five years before founding the Alexander McQueen and McQ labels.

McQueen became known for his sumptuous and unorthodox runway shows. One included a recreation of a shipwreck for his spring 2003 collection. Spring 2005 featured a human chess game and his fall 2006 show, "Widows of Culloden", boasted a life-sized hologram of supermodel Kate Moss dressed in yards of fluttering fabric.

He was the first designer to use Indian models in London and on one occasion caused a stir when he sent double amputee model Aimee Mullins down the catwalk on beautifully carved wooden legs. But it wasn't just about the shows. It was the clothes and his love of creating unique items that drove him. His "bumsters" kicked off a significant trend in low rise jeans and the scarf bearing his signature skull motif became de rigeur celebrity wear and was copied around the world.

Despite his passing, the Alexander McQueen brand continues to thrive. Over time the clothing range has been complemented with accessories such as shoes, bags and sunglasses. The latter are probably one of the more affordable items in the collection but still bear all the hallmarks of McQueen's genius. The quirkiness of the 4041s or the flamboyance of the 4128s sit well with the daring, or maybe those who just want to be daring for a day. Though the man himself has moved on, his legacy will delight and inspire for years to come.