The Triumph And Tragedy Of Alexander Mcqueen

There is a moment in the new documentary film about his life, when a piece of footage shows Lee McQueen (better known by his professional name, Alexander McQueen), saying, “If you want to know me – look at my work.”

- Laura Antonia Jordan

There is a moment in the new documentary film about his life, when a piece of footage shows Lee McQueen (better known by his professional name, Alexander McQueen), saying, “If you want to know me – look at my work.”

Certainly, his work – captivating, shocking, romantic, and deeply personal – has always invited its audience to think about the man behind it. ‘He expressed the intensity of his fears, passions and joys on the catwalk,’ says Claire Wilcox, who curated the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Savage Beauty exhibition. ‘He had absolutely no choice but to invest himself totally into his fashion collections from the perspective of being a brilliant tailor, designer, craftsman, but also as somebody who truly believed that fashion could express deeper truths about being human.’

And now, over eight years after McQueen’s death at 40, people are still wanting to know more about the man behind the mythical designs. Last month saw the release of McQueen, a film directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui (son of Joseph Ettedgui, of Joseph fashion store fame – one of the first boutiques to buy the young McQueen’s designs).