Alexander McQueen Biography
Fashion Designer
Alexander McQueen photos ( see all 20 )Name at birth: Lee Alexander McQueen
Theatrical, radical, and talented, Alexander McQueen was perhaps Britain's most famous young designer when he killed himself in 2010 at age 40. McQueen quit school at age 16 and began training as a tailor on Savile Row. He worked in England and Italy before earning a masters degree in fashion design at Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design in 1992. Next came a rocket-like ride up the fashion ranks, fueled by his avant-garde fashion shows -- sometimes held in bus stations or empty buildings, with amputee models and other shocking touches. (As the BBC put it, "His close-cropped hair, Doc Martens and feisty attitude earned him the label 'the hooligan of English fashion.'") He became chief designer at the famed French house Givenchy in 1996, and was named British Designer of the year in 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2003. He left Givenchy in 2001 and became creative director of his own Alexander McQueen label at Gucci, where he remained for the rest of his life. He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003. McQueen hanged himself in 2010 at his home in the Mayfair district of London, apparently despondent over love troubles and the death from cancer of his mother earlier in the same month.
Extra credit: Alexander McQueen killed himself the day before his mother's funeral... He was the youngest of six children; his father Ronald was a taxi driver... He entered into a civil partnership with filmmaker George Forsyth in 2001, with the model Kate Moss as the bridesmaid. The couple broke up shortly afterwards.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2011/01/20/2011-01-20_michelle_obama_wears_redhot_alexander_mcqueen_dress_to_state_dinner_honoring_chi.html
Excerpt:
Michelle Obama wears red-hot Alexander McQueen dress to State Dinner honoring Chinese President
Originally Published:Thursday, January 20th 2011, 8:35 AM
Updated: Thursday, January 20th 2011, 1:37 PM
Updated: Thursday, January 20th 2011, 1:37 PM
Monsivais, Dharapak/AP
First Lady Michelle Obama chose a bold, Alexander McQueen dress to wear to Wednesday night's state dinner. The gown, which featured an asymmetrical neckline in a red petal print, has raised a few eyebrows, both for its bold choice and because she chose a British designer.
With the party-crashing Michaele Salahi's crimson-colored sari nowhere in sight, the First Lady stole the spotlight.
Critics wondered whether she ought to have selected Vera Wang, who has Chinese roots and was a guest at the dinner or Jason Wu, the Taiwanese designer who created the First Lady's inaugural dress.
Several fashionistas were in attendance at the dinner, including Vogue editor Anna Wintour, left, and designer Vera Wang, right. (Vucci/AP)
Why Michelle Obama didn't choose an American designer was also a hot topic.
"Red is an obvious color because in China it means good luck, but you expect and American or an American-based designer for an occasion like this," said Kate Betts, author of "Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style."
"But she's always surprising, and that's why we're all riveted by her," Betts said.
McQueen, an adored designer in style circles, committed suicide less than a year ago. Fashion reporters were quick to point the First Lady's choice so close to the one-year anniversary of his death on Feb. 11.
President Obama also dressed to the nines in a classic tux. (Loeb/Getty)
Obama's dress was actually designed by McQueen's successor and former assistant Sarah Burton.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF MICHELLE OBAMA'S STYLE.
And while the blogosphere and Twittersphere were abuzz with both fans and critics of the gown, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive.
"The dress also served as a razzle-dazzle fashion moment," noted The Daily Beast's Robin Givhan, who covers style and culture. "An American First Lady was embracing a brand known for its willingness to push boundaries, to agitate, and even to offend."
Fashion blogger Mary Tomer who runs a website devoted to Obama's style, praised the First Lady: "The gown is a daring, high-glamour, yet pitch perfect choice for the occasion."
ashahid@nydailynews.com
With News Wire Services
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