An Iconic Death

January 25th, 2011

Sadly, the court of common opinion believes that iconic status can only be achieved after death. But in the case of fashion designer Alexander McQueen he was an icon long before he took his own untimely death in 2010.McQueen is best known for having a hand in the revival of the 1960′s and 1970′s hip- huggers when he brought out his own version of low-rise jeans in the late 1990′s in England and they were quickly referred to as “bumsters.” These low-rise fashion statements caught on in America after Britney Spears started wearing them in 2000.McQueen also became known for using skull motifs in his designs as well as bringing creativity and extravagance to the catwalk at fashion shows which often resulted in shock, surprise, awe, and respect from observers. The Telegraph reported that McQueen was “celebrated as the bad boy of British fashion — an aggressively-talented tailor who refused to compromise and was all-the-more lauded as a result.”And so it was shocking to the fashion world when news broke that McQueen killed himself by hanging a few days before London Fashion Week in 2010, leaving a simple note “look after my dogs, sorry, I love you.” McQueen often referred to himself as the “pink sheep” of the family a nod to his being openly gay and speculation ran amok upon his death that this relationship preference may have contributed to his taking his own life.It was reported that McQueen’s final collection (only partial in completion due to his untimely death) which was revealed during Paris Fashion Week was “hard to watch” because it had an eerie undertone of death and the afterlife (which harkens back to his skull motifs). His fashion line continues under his name to this day.