McQueen: The Last Five Years

This is my little tribute to the great Lee McQueen. It took many hours of combing through my pictures to pick and choose the looks I liked best (while maintaining a fluid transition between looks). His collections are a dream to peruse, though, because something nearly always catches me off guard with its beauty- even if I've seen it countless times before. Two things are obvious when you see these pieces- that excruciatingly diligent work must have gone into constructing the clothes, and that they are the products of a visionary genius.

My personal favorite is his Fall 2008 collection, which was inspired by an old elm tree in his garden. He imagined a story about a girl who lived in the tree. One day she decided to come out of the dark and coincidentally met a prince. They fell in love, married, and she became queen. It's a simple fairytale unworthy of retelling until you see the clothes. His visit to India and study of British fashion during the heyday of imperialism is evident in the splendidly structured military-inspired pieces and the whimsically romantic dresses.

Tied in close second are his Fall 2006 and Fall 2009 collections (fall>spring). I adore F2006 because it's so romantic and soft (colors and fabric) but in a classy, regal way. Also, I have a not-so-secret obsession with feathers. The feather headpieces, shoes, and THAT DRESS amaze me to no end. Fall 2009 is much harsher and modern looking, characterized by the models' sex doll lips and garbage inspired accessories. It is definitely a statement collection, but I really love it because of the sheer craftsmanship it seems to have taken to create all the looks. The tailoring and styling are impeccable and lend a couture feel to the clothes.

I'm going to cover the past 5 years of the Alexander McQueen label starting from Fall 2005.



Fall 2005


























His Spring 2006 collection was rather lackluster. Here are a few pieces.








Fall 2006



























The show ended with a hologram presentation of Kate Moss.




Spring 2007




























Fall 2007

























Spring 2008


























Fall 2008


































Spring 2009























Fall 2009


































Spring 2010




















His final collection came out yesterday. There were only sixteen pieces, 80% of which were finished by the time of his death. Thankfully, the collection is a beaut and a fitting goodbye for Mr. McQueen. I'll write about it tomorrow.