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.
Gucci by Tom Ford F/W 2000 Black Silk Double Layered Dress & Gold Hardware IT42
By Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in Berlin, DE
A refined evening dress from Gucci under the creative direction of Tom Ford, dating to the Fall/Winter 2000 collection. The design was seen on the runway in a gold version, marking i...
Alexander McQueen Black Bodycom Bandage Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Sharon, CT
Dress is being shown on a #6 French Mannikin. Black stretch material crisscrossed with black 'ribbon'.
ALEXANDER McQUEEN F/W 2004 Black Knit Draped Open Back Tie Long Sleeve Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN F/W 2004 Black Knit Draped Open Back Tie Long Sleeve Dress Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: F/W 2004 "Pantheon du Lucem" Designer: Alexander McQ...
Alexander McQueen A/W 2006 Black Wool Portrait Collar Shift Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
Alexander McQueen A/W 2006 Black Wool Portrait Collar Shift Dress Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: Autumn / Winter 2006 Style: Shift dress Color(s): Black Lined: Yes Marked Fabric Content: Exterior: 94% virgin fleece wool; 4% polyamide; 2% elastane. Lining: 57% Rayon Viscose; 43% polyester. Additional Details / Inclusions: Sleeveless, portrait collar dress...
Black jersey draped wrapped cocktail dress ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER
By Alexandre Vauthier
Located in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FR
Black jersey draped wrapped cocktail dress. Same jersey as lining. Invisible zip closure on the middle back. Shoulder pad. Gather above and under the waist. SAMPLE SIZE 38 (Fr) M
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN black viscose DRAPED Sleeve Knit Dress XS
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Zürich, CH
100% authentic Alexander McQueen sleeveless asymmetrical knit dress in black viscose (80%), cashmere (10%) and silk (10%) with a deep décolleté and a drape on the front. Unlined. Has...
Gucci By Tom Ford Black Cutout Dress With Gold Fan Hardware 2004
By Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Resurrection Vintage is excited to offer a stunning black 2004 Tom Ford for Gucci dress featuring a strapless body with collar straps, center front and back cutouts, gold-tone fin ha...
Gold and black lurex draped jersey mini-dress ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER
By Alexandre Vauthier
Located in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FR
Gold and black lurex draped jersey mini-dress . Jersey composition: 58% nylon, 38% polyester, 4% elastane. Lining composition: 88% polyester, 12% stretch. Shoulder pad. Zip closure ...
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Pre-Fall 2009 Draped Black Knit Maxi Dress w/ Buckle
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
Alexander McQueen Draped Black Knit Maxi Dress with Western Buckle Detail— A rare piece circa Pre-Fall 2009 collection, this black maxi dress showcases McQueen’s mastery of draping ...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2003 Black Ivory Contrast Stitch Kick Flare Cocktail Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN S/S 2003 Black Ivory Contrast Stitch Kick Flare Cocktail Dress Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: S/S 2003 S...
2000s Celine by Michael Kors Black Bodycon Logo Ring Gold Strap Backless Dress
By Celine, Michael Kors
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This black stretch Celine dress from the early 2000s by Michael Kors is crafted with a sleek bodycon silhouette. The design features a low back framed by gold-tone chain straps that ...
F/W 2005 Roberto Cavalli Black Studded Pleat Boned Strapless Mini Dress IT40
By Roberto Cavalli
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a stunning black pleated Roberto Cavalli mini dress. From the Fall/Winter 2005 collection, a nearly identical version of this dress appeared on the season's runway as look 49 modeled by Gemma Ward...
F/W 1997 Valentino Garavani Cashmere Silk Knit Black Stretch Ruched Dress Large
By Valentino Garavani, Valentino
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a fabulous black Valentino cashmere sweater midi dress. From the Fall/Winter 1997 collection, a mini version of this chic dress d...
S/S 2001 Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford Black Gold Hook Strapless Dress 38FR
By Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This black strapless Yves Saint Laurent dress, designed by Tom Ford for the Spring/Summer 2001 collection, features a series of gold-tone hook closures at the back, creating a gentle...
F/W 2004 Versace by Donatella Studded Black Cutout Bodycon Buckle Dress 40IT
By Donatella Versace, Versace
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Donatella Versace designed this sexy little black dress for her Fall/Winter 2005 Versace collection. The red version of the dress debuted on the season's runway as look 33, modeled b...
2000s Gucci by Tom Ford Sheer Stretch Viscose Sleeveless Cowl Black Dress
By Gucci, Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This fabulous black knit Gucci dress, designed by Tom Ford in the early 2000s, features a sleek sleeveless silhouette with a deep plunging cowl neckline and a high front slit. Simple...
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.
