The fashion industry was one with roots in a tradition that had burrowed deep into the Earth, entrenching itself in the ground in such a way that made it impossible for anyone to make waves against the thick mangrove of “class” and “respectability” established centuries ago. One designer, however, was able to break free of this mold, leaving behind him a crack that would soon let the harsh waves of innovation and modernity push through. Alexander McQueen was an innovator in the world of high fashion. From creating garments with silhouettes that destroyed past norms to runway shows that were performance art as much as they were exhibitions for his designs, the artist was a visionary who threw every rule of fashion back in the industry’s face.

On March 17, 1969, in a hospital on the East side of London, British designer Lee Alexander McQueen was born. Growing up, McQueen was obsessed with his father’s Scottish heritage, tracing his lineage and trying to learn as much as possible about his family’s history and background. His mother shared this interest, creating a deep connection between the two. At five years old, McQueen’s love for fashion took root, making dresses for his sisters and mother and taking up an interest in brands like Calvin Klein. Around the same time, he also came to understand his sexuality, as he developed a crush on another boy in his class. This early exposure to fashion and his discoveries about himself would be integral in Alexander’s artistic development.

As he got older, his oldest sister, Janet McQueen (who he was extremely close to), would marry Terence Hulyer. McQueen witnessed Hulyer commit extreme acts of violence against his sister, strangling and beating her to near death multiple times in front of him. The domestic violence Janet experienced was so extreme that she had two miscarriages as a result of Terence’s horrific actions. When McQueen was nine, Terence also began repeatedly sexually abusing him. This abuse continued until McQueen was around sixteen when Terence died of a heart attack while driving. These experiences played a major role in Alexander McQueen’s artistic development, as he created collections that tackled the subjugation of women, using extremely severe, almost grotesque designs that shocked the fashion industry.

Only two years after his debut in 1993, McQueen debuted his Spring/Summer 1995 collection, “Highland Rape,” a show that blatantly rebelled against the norms of the fashion industry. With designs featuring silhouettes that distorted and morphed the models’ bodies, the couturier pulled from his Scottish heritage with heavy usage of the tartan pattern commonly seen in kilts, his use of feathers on accessories (a nod to Scotland’s rich game-keeping culture), his family’s coat of arms being featured on multiple pieces, and the overwhelming number of models he sent on the runway with streaks of a bloody red dyed into their hair, applied with a messy precision. McQueen’s love and fascination with his father’s Scottish background shined through in this show, serving as both a commentary on England’s violation and subjugation of Scotland and an ode to Scottish history and tradition. Audience members saw models confidently rove to the end of the catwalk in long, bouncy strides, each one snatching the attention of onlookers, never ceasing to hold on to it with their unmistakable aura. As looks flew by, each one more and more experimental, viewers fixated on one piece in particular. Stepping out onto the runway, a model walked in a dress made of a flowy synthetic lace, drenched in a patina-colored wash with bronze embellishments. This metallic look is further exemplified by the model’s silver eyes, which had a blue iridescence and extremely harsh winged eyeliner. The dress is extremely thrashed, featuring heavy rips at the bottom, an asymmetrical neckline, and most strikingly, a hole that looks like it was ripped open at the crotch. This serves as a double entendre: it represents the English assault against Scotland before, during, and after the Wars of Scottish Independence, in which England decimated Scotland through the use of economic and military force, but it also seems to be a reflection of McQueen’s feelings and personal history with assault. The dress carries emotional weight, with distressing that looks handmade - strands of fabric flutter around the dress, and some pieces hang on by a thread. The dress seems to represent both a physical and mental manifestation of the turmoil experienced by McQueen and his sister. The many lacerations and abrasions on the dress represent a physical violation of the wearer, of both Scotland and McQueen, but also gives the sense that the dress is falling apart on the runway; an expression of the mental hardships and instability faced in the aftermath of violence and abuse.

2003 saw McQueen talk about female subjugation under a patriarchal system. The collection, titled “Irere,” told the story of a victim of the pounding, unforgiving waves of the open ocean, with a giant LED screen depicting a woman in one of the collection’s many dresses flailing and frantically fighting waves underwater, slowly drowning despite her desperate attempts to survive. The show started with models walking out in a variety of nautical-themed looks, wearing poet shirts (the type of shirts commonly seen on pirates), asymmetric skirts and dresses, thick belts, and scarves and bandanas tied around their waists. Some sported wet hair, running mascara, and clothes with lopsided tears and hanging threads. This show also featured one of McQueen’s most famous pieces: the Oyster dress. The dress is a beautiful gown that is constructed around a thin corset with layers and layers of fabric draped over it and pieces of cloth jutting out violently, like leaves blowing in a heaving wind. The bottom of the gown features thick curls of material cascading down, blooming out like the heavy waves of the ocean in a violent, crushing storm. The sand-colored garment, which at first glance looks extremely structured and rigid, is made of fine silk. This juxtaposition of material and appearance serves as a metaphor for the fragility of femininity. The dress represents a tragedy at sea, telling the story of someone caught in the harsh waves of a sea storm, jerked around, and violently dragged to the bottom of the ocean, where they will forever remain. Coral, sand, and grime slowly encase them as they cease fighting the current and accept their fate. The silhouette of the dress distorts the figure of the wearer, providing a sense of the wearer becoming one with the dress, and, by extension, one with the ocean. Although the late designer has certainly created pieces with much more extreme silhouettes and shapes, the fine detailing on the Oyster Dress created a look that is extremely dense and layered.

Although Alexander McQueen tragically took his own life on February 11, 2010, his legacy will forever be remembered in the clothes he designed and the shows he put on. Even through the many adversities the designer faced in his life, he was able to persevere, putting his pain and trauma into his art and creating shows that changed the fashion landscape as a whole.

Written by Zeeshan Khan, Photography: Jacki Burns, Design: Mila Blank, Social Media: Ellianah Murcia, Styling: Ryan Velasco and Cindy Chen

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