Friday, May 22, 2015

Dear Alexander McQueen...

Hi there! When I was about 12 and started to really get into fashion and stay in the know about the industry, Alexander McQueen's death was a very, very big story, big enough to get an exhibit at the Met. I didn't spend enough time researching him as a designer and was probably too young to understand his impact on the fashion world at the time. However, recently when I decided to enter the Sears Design Competition (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the lowdown) and had to design a garment based on a historical or contemporary designer, I jumped at the chance and designed something inspired by the legendary Alexander McQueen.

To get a better understanding of him as a person and him as a designer, I read bits and pieces of Katherine Gleason's book called Alexander McQueen: Evolution and boy, did I learn a lot. I also got to appreciate his fantastical and regal vision.

Reading into McQueen's life was also a shocking reminder of suicide. I know that I don't usually ever mention topics like this on my blog, but I think that is so, so important to talk about. I won't linger too long on the topic as this is a McQueen appreciation post, but if you know anyone who is or you suspect them of harming themselves and/or are thinking of suicide, please get them help. This is most definitely not one of those problems that you can just ignore and it'll go away.

Anyway, moving on from the heavy bits, here are a few of my favourite pieces that he's ever made.


Image Credit: Marcio Madeira via Style.com
This crazy cool indigo and black checkered coat with a rather extreme turtleneck thing going on is just... crazy cool. It's one of the first pieces that were sent down the runway in his Fall 2007 RTW show. While it's not something I can picture myself wearing, that won't stop me from appreciating it's awesomeness.

Image Credit: Marcio Madeira via Style.com
Image Credit: Marcio Madeira via Style.com
Both dresses have such a cool steampunk vibe to them and the whole Fall 2009 collection was just so freaking amazing. The juxtaposition of really traditionally feminine silhouettes and darker, edgier elements has always fascinated me and I've always loved it, so it's no surprise really that I'd adore each and every one of these dresses.

Image Credit: Christopher Moore via Style.com

This was the closing look from his very last collection for FW 2010. The coat is just so wonderfully majestic and powerful with the gilded feathers, yet the beautiful white fabric that fans out gives it a soft feminine touch.

Which piece was your favourite? Do you have any other favourites from Alexander McQueen that I didn't mention? Who's your favourite designer? Leave your comments and share your thoughts down below!


Thank you so much for reading!
- J


2 comments:

  1. Ahhh, I haven't visited your blog for a while so the sudden explosion of blogposts caught me off guard. Uh...where to start? I really like your new blog design! It seems to me that the design is going more and more simple and minimal, which I quite like :). Also, good luck with the competition! It's a good thing whether you ended up getting an award or not because you're gaining experience.
    Honestly I know very little about fashion, but I really like Alexander McQueens' designs! My favourite would probably be the one with the crazy turtleneck thing and the golden one (I know, really eloquent word choice XD)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heyy--
      Yeah, I'd definitely been slacking on my blog for sure, but I've been really good this week, so that makes me happy, that's for sure. :)
      Prepping for the competition was definitely a good experience and while it was a bit stressful because the topic was so open, but now all I can do is wait (im)patiently until they announce the results some time next week. Agghhhh
      Thanks for commenting as usual! x

      Delete