Alexander McQueen, with his provocative shows and extreme designs, has a solid reputation of being fashion’s bad boy. Born in London’s East End, the self-described “pink sheep of the family” became an apprentice for Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard at age 16.
After working in Milan for Romeo Gigli, McQueen returned to study and perfect his technical skills at St. Martin’s College. His expert tailoring and imaginative designs caught the attention of fashion legend Isabella Blow who immediately proceeded to buy his entire student collection.
Soon after, he launched his own fashion label and presented his first highly theatrical collection, entitled Highland Rape. It was instantly labeled as racy and sparked controversy all over Europe.
In 1996, he was named chief designer at Givenchy, which only lasted four years because in 2000 he joined the Gucci group. McQueen’s potent mix of shock, innovation and superb craftsmanship have earned him three British Designer of the Year awards and a faithful celebrity following that includes David Bowie, Prodigy’s Keith Flint and Kate Winslet (he created the Titantic dress that won an Oscar and later created the star’s gown for her bangers ‘n’ mash wedding).
