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.
Alexander McQueen S/S 2009 Crystal Kaleidoscope Skeleton Print Leggings XS
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed by Alexander McQueen for the Spring Summer 2009 "Natural Dis-tinction, Un-Natural Selection" collection. Features the now iconic skeleton print formed by a symmetric crystal...
Alexander McQueen S/S 2010 "Plato's Atlantis" Aquatic Alien Hybrid Print Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed by Alexander McQueen for the spring/summer 2010 collection, titled "Plato's Atlantis". This collection envisioned a future of human reversion to an animal state, how life wo...
Gianni Versace S/S 1991 Pop Art Baroque Print Swimsuit Bodysuit & Leggings Set
By Gianni Versace
Located in Chicago, IL
From Gianni Versace’s Spring/Summer 1991 “Pop Art” Collection, this rare set features the striking color palette and patterns the collection was famous for. This set features a combi...
Alexander McQueen S/S 2009 Swarovski Crystal Structured Kaleidoscope Mini Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed by Alexander McQueen for the Spring/Summer 2009 "Natural Dis-tinction, Un-natural Selection" collection. This particular dress was featured on the runway for that season with the print included in numerous garment designs and color palettes. Sleeveless sculptural shift dress. Multicolor kaleidoscope abstract crystal print pattern. V-slit neckline. Center front hemline slit. Large faceted Swarovski crystal embellishments in various sizes at shoulders and center back waistline. Crystals have an intentional distressed look to them, which include scratches at the surfaces, and a silver backing that highlights an aged, and raw reflective appearance. The silk blend of this garment offers a slight sheen to the material. Center back invisible zipper with single hook and eye closure. Fully lined. This dress is recognized as InStyle magazine's 2009 "100 Best Dresses...
Alexander McQueen F/W 2010 “Angels & Demons” Medieval Art Royalty Gown Dress
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Chicago, IL
From Alexander McQueen’s final collection, this spectacular piece features digitally printed imagery depicting Medieval religious ar...
Gianni Versace S/S 1991 Pop Art Baroque Print Swimsuit Bodysuit & Skirt Set
By Gianni Versace
Located in Chicago, IL
From Gianni Versace’s Spring/Summer 1991 “Pop Art” Collection, this rare set features the striking color palette and patterns the collection was famous for. Naomi Campbell graced the...
Alexander McQueen S/S 2009 "Natural Dis-tinction" Crystal Kaleidoscope Leggings
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Алматинский Почтамт, KZ
Alexander McQueen S/S 2009 "Natural Dis-tinction" Crystal Kaleidoscope Print Leggings Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen Collection: Spring / Summer 2009 "Natural Dis-Tincti...
ALEXANDER McQUEEN 2012 Abstract X-Ray Skeleton Print Leggings Black White
By Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALEXANDER McQUEEN 2012 Abstract X-Ray Skeleton Print Leggings Black White Brand / Manufacturer: Alexander McQueen / McQ Circa: 2012 Style: Le...
2010 NWT Alexander McQueen Catacombs Skull Printed Leggings
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Алматинский Почтамт, KZ
Alexander McQueen – Catacombs Skull Printed Leggings New with tags – archival piece from the iconic 2010 collection, made in Italy Size: M (elasticated fit – comfortably accommodate...
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN McQ c.2012 Black White X Ray Print Skeleton Leggings Pants
By Sarah Burton
Located in Thiensville, WI
McQ by Alexander McQueen c.2012 X-ray print leggings. Elastic waist band. Black and white abstract x-ray print. Marked Fabric Content: "80% Polyester, 20% Elastane". Marked Size: "38...
Alexander McQueen Jellyfish print leggings collection: S/S 2010 "Plato's Atlanti
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Алматинский Почтамт, KZ
Alexander McQueen Jellyfish print leggings collection: S/S 2010 "Plato's Atlantis" size XL (good for M/L also) made in Italy color: multi condition: gently used composition: 78% ny...
Alexander McQueen iconic leggings S/S 2009 Natural Dis-tinction Eiffel tower
By Alexander McQueen
Located in Алматинский Почтамт, KZ
Alexander McQueen Eiffel tower print leggings runway collection: S/S 2009 Ready-to-Wear "Natural Dis-tinction Un-natural Selection" (look: 36/42) Lycra and were consequently repeat...
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.
