There is something about a fashion documentary that grabs you. It’s an opportunity to catch a glimpse inside a world made up of creative artists, stylish clothing and beautiful people. In the biopic ‘McQueen,’ directors Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui pay tribute to the late British designer Alexander McQueen. It’s a fascinating portrait of a troubled genius who pushed the envelope with cutting-edge designs worn by celebrities such as David Bowie and Bjork. Even after his death by suicide in 2010, McQueen’s impact on the industry is still relevant to this day with sold-out exhibitions of his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After viewing the visually stunning and haunting images in ‘McQueen,’ it will become clear why he is such a tragic loss to the fashion world.
The documentary is broken down into five chapters that are titled “tapes” and presented with a graphic skull image of the designer on screen. It’s an amazing rags-to-riches story. Lee Alexander McQueen (he would later drop Lee from his professional name) was a chubby kid from a working-class family in East London. At an early age, he was drawing clothes and in his words, “stinking at school.” His hunger and drive to break into fashion led him to an apprenticeship with Saville Row tailors. He was a quick learner with a strong work ethic. His tenacity eventually landed him a spot at the prestigious Central Saint Martin’s design college. He began getting attention for his rebellious early collections named “Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims” and “Highland Rape.”
While some were outraged by his abrasive style, magazine editor and fashionista Isabella Blow is credited with discovering the young designer and introducing him to London’s fashion elite. She was the person who first suggested that Alexander sounded posher than Lee. McQueen’s meteoric rise is fun to watch in the biopic. Before making it big, he admits to using the money he received on the dole to buy fabric for his designs. His break came when he was hired as chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashion earned him four British Designer of the Year awards. He learned to tone down his wild side at Givenchy but still made time to indulge in it on the catwalk under the McQueen name. He shined on the catwalk using technology and shocking motifs to add a twist to his fashion shows.
McQueen said, “You don’t move forward if you play it safe.” He continued, “I want you to come out of the fashion show feeling either repulsed or exhilarated as long as it’s an emotion.” He became well-known for his theatrical runway shows. One moment stands out when he used a model as a human canvas. She stood at the center of a revolving platform while two robotic arms spray-painted her dress. At another show, a model was placed in a torrential wind tunnel. She could hardly walk but the fabric billowing behind her was stunning. His most celebrated and dramatic catwalk show was a collection named VOSS in 2001. The center of the stage dominated with a white box. The show included model Kate Moss looking like an inmate in an asylum. She walked through a room with mirrored walls that allowed the audience to see her but she couldn’t see them. The finale included an enormous glass box where lights came on revealing an interior full of moths and a naked woman on a chaise lounge wearing a gas mask. His fashion shows were beautiful and disturbing. McQueen once said, “If you want to know me, look at my work.”
The sad part of McQueen’s story is when he achieves fame and fortune. He seemed happiest early on when he was a chubby fashion student trying to break into the industry. When he finally had money, he got liposuction, caught up into drugs and seemed to lose his identity. The final blow was the loss of his mother. He hung himself on the eve of her funeral. Today the Alexander McQueen brand lives on and generates millions of dollars under the parent company Gucci. ‘McQueen’ is a haunting documentary that goes beyond the runway to reveal a gifted and tortured artist.
