75 Facts About Alexander McQueen

Lee Alexander McQueen was a British fashion designer and couturier.

Alexander McQueen founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001.

Alexander McQueen had a background in tailoring before he studied fashion and embarked on a career as a designer.

Alexander McQueen remains the subject of journalistic and academic analysis, including the book Gods and Kings by fashion journalist Dana Thomas and the documentary film McQueen.

Lee Alexander McQueen was born on 17 March 1969 at University Hospital Lewisham in Lewisham, London, to Ronald and Joyce McQueen, the youngest of six children.

Alexander McQueen's Scottish father worked as a taxi driver, and his mother was a social science teacher.

Alexander McQueen attended Carpenters Road Primary School, before going to Rokeby School.

Alexander McQueen was interested in clothes from a young age.

Alexander McQueen was fascinated by birds and was a member of the Young Ornithologists' Club; later, in his professional career, he often used birds as motifs in his designs.

Alexander McQueen left school aged 16 in 1985 with only one O-level in art and took a course in tailoring at Newham College.

Alexander McQueen first worked as a pattern cutter before moving into clothing production.

Alexander McQueen had no standing job offer, but secured a position with Romeo Gigli on the basis of his portfolio and tailoring experience.

Alexander McQueen was still hungry to learn more about designing clothes, so McKitterick suggested he see Bobby Hillson, the Head of the MA course in fashion at London art school Central Saint Martins.

Alexander McQueen turned up at CSM with a pile of sample clothing and no appointment, seeking a job teaching pattern cutting.

Alexander McQueen met a number of his future collaborators there, including Simon Ungless, a friend and later room-mate, and Fleet Bigwood, a print tutor at the school.

Alexander McQueen received his master's degree in fashion design after presenting his graduation collection at London Fashion Week in March 1992.

Alexander McQueen was in many ways his mentor, which grew into a close friendship.

Alexander McQueen had said that he refused to be photographed in his early career because he did not want to be recognized in the dole office.

In 1992, Alexander McQueen started his own label, and for a time he lived in the basement of Blow's house in Belgravia while it was under renovation.

Alexander McQueen was one of six young designers sponsored by the British Fashion Council that season.

Taxi Driver saw the introduction of the "bumster", an extreme low-rise trouser which Alexander McQueen returned to again and again.

Alexander McQueen stashed the bags behind one club, started drinking, and promptly forgot about them.

Alexander McQueen asked her to join him as creative director for his following collection, The Birds; she worked with McQueen for many years, serving as his "second opinion".

Alexander McQueen's "bumsters" were a common feature of his early shows.

Alexander McQueen won his first British Designer of the Year award in 1996.

Alexander McQueen's increasing prominence led to a number of projects for music artists.

Alexander McQueen directed the music video for her song "Alarm Call" from the same album and later contributed the iconic topless dress to her video for "Pagan Poetry".

Alexander McQueen continued to be criticised for misogyny in some of his later shows for designs that some considered degrading to women.

In Bellmer La Poupee, inspired by Hans Bellmer's The Doll, Alexander McQueen placed models including the black model Debra Shaw in metal restraints, which observers interpreted as a reference to slavery, while the silver mouthpiece in Eshu forced the wearer to bare her teeth.

Alexander McQueen was appointed head designer of Givenchy in 1996 to succeed John Galliano who had moved to Dior.

Hubert de Givenchy, founder of the label known for its elegant couture, criticised Alexander McQueen's appointment, describing it as a "total disaster".

In turn, upon his arrival at Givenchy, Alexander McQueen insulted the founder by calling him "irrelevant".

Alexander McQueen himself said to Vogue in October 1997 that the collection was "crap".

Alexander McQueen had toned down his designs at Givenchy, although he continued to indulge his rebellious streak.

Five weeks after his criticised debut for Givenchy, Alexander McQueen staged his own show entitled It's a Jungle Out There, which was inspired by nature.

Alexander McQueen isn't just part of the London scene; he is the scene.

Alexander McQueen staged many of his shows in an unusual or dramatic fashion.

Alexander McQueen's following collection, The Overlook, was named after the Overlook Hotel from Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining.

Alexander McQueen held his first runway show in New York in 1999, titled Eye.

Alexander McQueen said that the tableau was based on the Joel Peter Witkin image Sanitarium.

The model chosen by Alexander McQueen to be the centre of the show was the British writer Michelle Olley.

Alexander McQueen later described his thoughts on the idea used during VOSS of forcing his audience to stare at their own reflection in the mirrored walls for over an hour before the show started:.

Alexander McQueen continued to present his runway shows in the unconventional manner for which he had become known.

Alexander McQueen was named GQ magazine's Designer of the Year in 2004.

In 2007, Alexander McQueen dedicated his Spring 2008 collection, La Dame Bleue, to Isabella Blow, who had died by suicide earlier that year.

Alexander McQueen took inspiration from the queens of England and the British Raj and Empire to create a romantic and regal collection.

In 2009, Alexander McQueen collaborated with dancer Sylvie Guillem, director Robert Lepage and choreographer Russell Maliphant, designing the wardrobe for the theatre show "Eonnagata", which premiered at Sadler's Wells in London.

Alexander McQueen installed two large cameras on the runway, both of which moved back and forth, documenting and broadcasting the entire show live on SHOWstudio.

Plato's Atlantis was yet another way in which Alexander McQueen fused fashion with technology.

Some fashion editors said the show was hard to watch because it showed how Alexander McQueen was obsessed with the afterlife.

Alexander McQueen's models were accessorized to show his love for theatrical imagery.

Some of Alexander McQueen's accomplishments included being one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003; he was appointed a CBE and named International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers in 2003.

Alexander McQueen has been credited with bringing drama and extravagance to the catwalk.

Alexander McQueen used new technology and innovation to add a different twist to his shows and often shocked and surprised audiences.

In 2005, Alexander McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of trainers for the shoe brand.

Alexander McQueen became one of several designers to participate in MAC's promotion of cosmetic releases created by fashion designers.

Alexander McQueen created custom designs for music artists David Bowie and Bjork, which were used in their album covers and tours.

Lady Gaga wore several Alexander McQueen designs, including the final outfit from Plato's Atlantis, in her video for "Bad Romance".

Alexander McQueen told his family when he was 18 and, after a rocky period, they accepted it.

In 2000, Alexander McQueen had a marriage ceremony with his partner George Forsyth, a documentary filmmaker, on a yacht in Ibiza.

Alexander McQueen was an avid scuba diver and used his passion as a source of inspiration in his designs, including spring 2010's "Plato's Atlantis".

Alexander McQueen received press attention after the May 2007 suicide of magazine editor Isabella Blow.

Alexander McQueen's mother had died eight days before he killed himself.

Alexander McQueen's funeral took place on 25 February 2010 at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, West London.

Alexander McQueen's ashes were later scattered in Skye at Kilmuir, as his Skye ancestry had been a strong influence in his life and work.

Bjork, a close friend of Alexander McQueen's, performed a version of "Gloomy Sunday" while dressed in a gown he had designed.

Alexander McQueen commemorated McQueen after accepting her award for Best International Artist, Best International Female, and Best International Album.

Various other musicians, who were friends and collaborators with Alexander McQueen, paid tribute following his death, including Kanye West, Courtney Love, and Katy Perry.

In March 2010, celebrities including Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Annabelle Neilson paid visual tribute to Alexander McQueen by wearing his distinctive 'manta' dresses.

Alexander McQueen is given homage in the popular MMO World of Warcraft.

Alexander McQueen created a series out of pig leather tanned and tattooed to appear similar to McQueen's skin.

Alexander McQueen filed patents for her method of replicating McQueen's skin in the lab, and displayed these patents along with the leather collection.

Alexander McQueen's family stated that they did not condone the use of his DNA for fashion projects but acknowledged that this project is exactly the sort of fashion experimentation he would have enjoyed.

Alexander McQueen has been the subject of several books, both biographical and photographic.

On 8 June 2018, the documentary Alexander McQueen, written and directed by Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui, was released in the UK.