British fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, the original creative engine behind the Alexander McQueen label, was beloved for his expert tailoring and theatrical runway shows. After his suicide in 2010, fans left tributes to the man and his talents outside Alexander McQueen boutiques worldwide. Record-breaking crowds visited the posthumous retrospective of the designer’s work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Victoria and Albert in London.
The inspirations for vintage Alexander McQueen bags, dresses, jackets and other items came from many quarters — film, music, current events, history, his heritage and fashions of the past. The designer's runway presentations were not just displays of clothing but were personal expressions of the zeitgeist, often touching on our cultural anxieties and concerns. McQueen’s own thoughts and feelings about love, death, gender, genocide, colonialism, global warming and the extinction of species all appear in his pieces.
McQueen certainly shook up fashion; he was a born Rottweiler. His upbringing on a council estate in north London played a part, but his family was close and supportive, not dysfunctional. He was proud of his Scottish heritage: He was a defiant fashion warrior. His historical themes and shows — such as “Highland Rape,” 2002, which was inspired by England’s “rape of Scotland,” as McQueen called it — always invoked powerful reactions from his audience of fashion pros.
“What you see in the work is the person himself. And my heart is in my work,” McQueen told Harper’s Bazaar in 2007.
It is perhaps this heart, and the heart’s exposure, that drew the crowds and made McQueen's creations both popular and emotionally resonant. Because the work was personal and thus layered with feeling, the motifs — decorative embellishments and fabric choices — have meaning. In other words, in McQueen’s oeuvre, plaid is more than simply a pattern.
Find vintage Alexander McQueen fashion and accessories — including the designer's coveted bags and comfortable, stretchy jersey knit dresses and gowns — on 1stDibs.
Dirk Bikkembergs F/W 2004 Zipped Brown Cotton Coat
By Dirk Bikkembergs
Located in Caserta, IT
- Designed by Dirk Bikkembergs - Fall Winter 2004 - Zipped Brown Cotton Coat - High neckline - Multiple zippers with red leather details - Two pockets on the front - Metal gold hardw...
Gucci by Tom Ford F/W 1995 Alpaca Brown Double Breasted Coat
By Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in Caserta, IT
- Designed by Tom Ford - Fall Winter 1995 - Brown Alpaca Double Breasted Coat - Two big pockets - Wide neck - Double breasted button closure - Good Condition: Lining need to be stitc...
Ann Demeulemeester 2000's Black Button Up Wool Coat
By Ann Demeulemeester
Located in Caserta, IT
- Designed by Ann Demeulemeester - Early 00's - Black Wool Coat - Double Breasted polished buttons closure - Military details on the shoulders - Buttoned bands at the wrists - Velvet...
Roberto Cavalli F/W 2005 Knitted Tulle Wool Coat
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in Caserta, IT
- Designed by Roberto Cavalli - Fall Winter 2005 - Knitted Tulle Wool Coat - Tulle design at the neckline - Bell sleeves - One button closure - Brown and red shapes - Very good condi...
Rick Owens S/S 2015 "FAUN" Brown Wool and Suede Coat
By Rick Owens
Located in Caserta, IT
- Designed by Rick Owens - S/S 2015 "FAUN" - Brown Wool and Suede Coat - Button closure - Very thight sleeves in suede - Long asymmetric fit - V-neck line - Very good condition - Mad...
John Galliano 2004 Sample Black Lambskin Leather Coat
By John Galliano
Located in Caserta, IT
- Designed by John Galliano - Black lambskin leather, mid-thigh length, fully lined in black silk/satin with tonal dot jacquard - Structured shoulders with epaulettes, double-breaste...
Alexander McQueen 2009 Vintage Olive Wool Coat with Padded Shoulders XS
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Berlin, DE
A sharply tailored and architecturally refined coat from Alexander McQueen 2009, embodying the house’s signature precision and sculptural femininity. Crafted in Italy from structured...
GUCCI by TOM FORD Fall 2002 Runway Chocolate Brown Size 40 Silky Trench Jacket
By Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in San Diego, CA
Rare and ultra chic vintage GUCCI by TOM FORD Fall 2002 Runway chocolate brown silky trench jacket ! Features the perfect brown color that is great with anything, anytime of year. M...
Brown Hussein Chalayan Cotton Belted Trench Coat Size IT 38
By Hussein Chalayan
Located in New York, NY
Brown cotton belted trench coat by Hussein Chalayan. Oversized collar. Dual hip pockets. Concealed button and sash tie closures. 32" bust, 16.5" shoulder width, 19" sleeve length, 38...
Aquascutum Women's Coat 1990s Brown-Colored
By Aquascutum
Located in Milano, IT
Aquascutum coat for women from the 90s, brown color, made of 100% pure Cashmere. Classic line, with five buttons on the front and two comfortable pock...
Aquascutum Women's Coat 1990s Brown-Colored
By Aquascutum
Located in Milano, IT
Aquascutum coat for women from the 90s, brown color, made of 100% pure Cashmere. Classic line, with five buttons on the front and two comfortable pock...
Valentino Boutique 1990’s Vintage Brown Wool Long Coat - Size 10
By Valentino
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Valentino Boutique 1990’s Vintage Brown Wool blend Long Coat - Size 10 This classic 90’s Brown wool/cashmere blend coat has a stripe on stripe look to the fabric, is fully lined, has...
The designer combined his Savile Row training with his fascination with Victorian jewelry to create a most alluring piece.
A striking tartan ensemble from the late designer’s celebrated (and controversial) Fall/Winter 2006 collection is equal parts tailored and punk.
